Season 10: We Rescue Each Other
by wakarr-bakarr
Summary: A series of one-shots focused on the Sue x Sean relationship. #WaitingForDonasueToHappen2018
1. Episode 1: Math Tests and Red Bears

**INTRODUCTION:** So I finally got a FanFiction account after _years_ of saying I would **NEVER** do it lol. But I thought I'd publish these stories on a wider forum so that more people can read and enjoy them. This is a series of one-shots that focuses on the relationship between Sue x Sean (yayyyy! this pairing needs more love ;;_;;). Each story is written from a prompt that was sent to my inbox on Tumblr; you can view the original posts on my Tumblr, under the tag "#fwriting" (check my profile for both links). The biggest difference between the originals and the stories posted on here are the differences in punctuation. I tend to use multiple interrobangs—i.e., the "?!" or "!?" combos—in great repetition when punctuating particularly strong, emotional sentences. I also inappropriately use a lot of "en" dashes, although I've edited all of those out for the proper "em" ones here. The other difference would be the slight change in author's notes, though I plan to keep those edits at a bare minimum. Please go check the original Tumblr posts if you'd like to look at the additional links on any given post. Currently, I plan to only use this account for publishing those Sue x Sean stories; I doubt I'll use it for much else thereafter.

 **NOTE 1:** I am no longer taking Sue x Sean prompt requests. There were, however, about twenty or so prompts that got officially sent in and I have to complete, so after I've finished writing all of those, we'll see what happens next... :33

 **NOTE 2:** The original posts weren't given titles; I'll add/edit those later when I've published them here.

Happy reading, and I hope y'all enjoy~~

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 **Prompt:** Sean brings Sue her favorite candy while she's studying for exams. He tells her about his favorite memory of her involving said candy. (Anonymous)

Here you go, anon!

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 _"Aaaauuughhhh,"_ Sue groaned. She had been studying for this math exam for hours, but no matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't seem to figure out how to solve this problem as easily as the professor had. Or any of these other problems she was supposed to know how to do for the upcoming exam. Overly frustrated, Sue closed her textbook copy of _Intro to Business Mathematics_ and took in a deep breath, only to let out another long, frustrated sigh.

"Hey, there, Susie-Q!"

Sue looked up, turning toward the direction of a very familiar voice that didn't seem too far away. She immediately began to wave and smile as she spotted a familiar figure coming into view.

"Sean!" Sue called out with happy surprise, "what are you doing here?"

"I came over to see you," Sean answered. He was grinning. "Because I wanted to give you _**this."**_ Sue watched as her friend revealed something he had been holding the entire time—a small, clear plastic bag, glowing cherry underneath the sunlight. She let out a quiet gasp.

"Red gummy bears?!" Sue exclaimed. Her voice was full of delight and awe. "You were able to find a **whole bag** of red gummy bears?!"

Sean's grin only widened as he took a seat at Sue's table, sitting opposite her. He placed the bag of bright red candies on the other side of the table so that Sue could take a closer look.

"Somebody was making them in the school colors and selling them on campus," Sean started as he watched Sue turn over the mini-bear faces in amazement. "And when I saw them, I thought about that one time I stayed over at your guys' place for Halloween, and Axl had that crazy idea for us to all pool our candy together because we'd each 'have more' if we split the total equally between all of us. And I remembered that while we were piling all of our candy together, you were saying how sad you were that nobody ever really gives out gummy bears for Halloween, because those were your favorite, especially—"

 _"The red ones,"_ Sue said, joining in with Sean to finish his statement. They both smiled. Sue quickly turned her attention to opening the new bag of candy and took out one or two red bears before handing it to Sean, offering him the gummies as well.

Sean reached into the bag, picked out his own red bear, and began to chew on it before he scanned the relatively quiet commons area Sue had been sitting at, looked back to Sue, and stopped. "What are you doing here, by the way?"

"Oh, nothing much," Sue replied. She grudgingly reached for her copy of _Intro to Business Mathematics_ again, hesitant to open it back up. "I'm just studying for my math exam; it's the last final I have to take. You'd think with a major like Hotel Management, they wouldn't make you take any math classes. But apparently they still want you to know how to calculate basic expenses if you're going to be doing _something_ in the business world, even if you're only going to be offering slightly higher-end customer service to slightly higher-end—but still always dissatisfied—clients. Which is _fine_ —I'm **_sure_** this will all be really helpful someday when I'm working at a 4.5-star hotel and trying to figure out what kind of towels guests love best, but also offer us the most profit."

Sue gave a short laugh and a long sigh. "It's just that I'm not very good at it. Business math is a little bit more challenging than high school-level algebra, and I already struggled a lot with that, which is why I didn't decide to take this class until junior year." Sue let out another long sigh, but then immediately perked up into a encouraging smile. "... But I'm sure I'll be able to figure it all out! Thanks for stopping by, Sean. And thank you _**so much**_ for the red gummy bears—they _**really**_ made my day after I'd spent it all stressing out over how to solve one's annual opportunity cost for the past four hours." Sue gave a final deep breath and worked up a positive, cheery look before opening her textbook again. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to continue studying for the _next_ five and try to figure out just that."

Sue gave a weak smile as she turned the pages of her math textbook, flipping back to the chapter she had just left off. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sean nod thoughtfully before swallowing the last of his gummy bear, and then speaking up.

"Cool. Need any help?"

Sue looked up, showing brief surprise. Her face then expressed full gratefulness, but also some restraint. "Oh no, it's okay! Thanks for offering, Sean, but I'll be fine; don't worry about me." Sue smiled knowingly. "Besides, it's finals season, and I don't want to get in the way of you studying for any medical exams that I'm sure are _a lot_ tougher than my 'Intro to Business Math' final."

"Nahhh, it's all right. I'm already done with all of my exams anyway; finished my last one this morning," Sean replied. He gave a reassuring smile, Sue returning it with a careful look. "And, not that I like to brag, but I _**did**_ get into Notre Dame and got accepted to med school on a perfect SAT math score."

Sean's smile only widened as Sue's wariness softened into a smile as well, and she slid over to him her _Intro to Business Mathematics_ textbook. "Sure, Sean. I'd _love_ to have some help with all of this."

Sue felt an odd sense of being as her long-time friend took up the math book and opened it, scanning through everything she had been so fruitlessly trying to figure out for the past few hours, all by herself. The unfamiliar feeling came to her in spinning waves, like a sudden tingling or frantic rush to her chest. And somewhere down the line, Sue could feel her cheeks flush just as red as her new bag of cherry-flavored gummy bears as Sean scooted over, leaned in closer, and helped her ace this test.

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Hope you all enjoyed this one! I'll be posting the rest soon (there are a total of seven, at the moment). Although I'll be giving Tumblr first priority whenever I post a new story, I'll also be publishing them here soon after :'3


	2. Episode 2: Their First Dance

**Prompt:** Sue and Sean dance in the rain. (Anonymous)

Done, with a _bonus_ scene! 😊

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"Sue."

 _It had all been_ **ruined,** she thought, **utterly ruined.** Her right foot got caught in a crack on the sidewalk, leaving her momentarily off-balance. But she didn't stop, nearly limping all the way down the street as she headed straight toward her house and the Donahues'.

Frustration and disappointment boiled within her. The feeling of discontentment after having been let down continued to work at her already racing mind. _How could everything have gone so wrong?_

"Sue."

She had on a _**gorgeous**_ midnight-blue gown—errr, well, it **_had_** been gorgeous sometime earlier in the day—before they had had to pull the car over and she'd stepped into a thick, muddy puddle. That had turned most of the enchanting, night-sky blue into a much less-enviable, and dull, purplish-brown. The second time they had had to pull over, she'd suspected that someone's rose bush had gotten a good snag at the edge of her gown while she wasn't looking. That would explain the limited, but still very noticeable, tear on the back hem. As a result, some of the dress's gold and silver detailing had begun to fall off, leaving behind tiny, star-shaped sequins to glitter on the pavement as she scurried in the dusk—which was rapidly approaching.

Her short, thin hair had been beautifully curled and swept back, settling into soft, sandy waves that nicely framed her face. _Just like that time he'd asked me to the ball, she thought, just like that one time._ Only now that look was a bit disheveled, the waves on her head coming in at an odd angle, making it look like they were headed for a sea-storm, rather than the other side of the peaceful bank.

 _"Sue!"_

Sue Heck turned, suddenly hearing the call of her boyfriend—and escort to the dance—Sean Donahue. He was trailing a few steps behind her.

"I thought you had a broken heel," Sean said, catching up to her. He gave her a teasing smile. "We've been late all night; what's the rush?"

"Sorry, Sean," Sue answered quickly. She turned to face him fully. "I was just—" The full look of consideration and the welcome smile on Sean's face made it _that_ much harder to forgive everything that had happened. Sue's disappointment could no longer be hidden, and it broke out across her face.

Sean's open expression immediately became serious.

"Hey, hey, _hey,"_ Sean said gently. He stepped closer to her and reached for her shoulders. "Susie-Q, what's wrong?"

"It's just that—" Sue tried to start. "I wanted—Everything was just—" Sue gave a long, frustrated breath. "First, there was our car braking down on our way _**to**_ the dance, then it was your phone getting ruined by falling into that puddle, then it was us waiting an hour for the mechanic to come and fix our car, and then it was us arriving over an hour late to the dance—yet _still somehow making it_ —then it was my heel breaking _just **before**_ we could dance, then it was our car breaking down on our way _**back**_ from the dance, then it was my phone's battery running out, then it was us walking almost 5 miles to get home, and _now—"_

Both dance-goers looked to the sky as they heard a low, rumbling noise. The night had fallen much faster than they'd anticipated, and the clouds were pushing one another with much more antagonism than either of the two had expected, each cloud turning darker against the other's touch. Seconds later, Sue heard a soft pitter-patter against the pavement, and she started to feel her gown sag and her shoulders get wet.

"And now, it's raining," Sue said aloud. Her comment was filled more with pure disbelief than disappointment. As she spoke, her head fell and her shoulders gave a kind of half-hearted, defeated shrug. Her person stayed like that for a moment before she looked back up at Sean again. "It's just that—Sean, you are one of the _**nicest**_ people I've ever met, and the _**best**_ boyfriend any girl could wish for. And... for once, I wanted tonight to all work out and be special, you know? Just so that you'd know that you're very special."

Sue glanced at Sean a little more closely before giving him a funny look. "I mean _look_ at you," she said, gesturing toward Sean's evening attire, which was getting thoroughly drenched as the rain thickened, "you rented a _**fourth**_ tux for this event, didn't even get to dance _at all_ in it, and you'll probably have to pay double for this suit because of—that horrible-looking thing on the front of it." Sue's eyes went to the musty-colored stain that wouldn't disappear from Sean's perfectly white shirt—not even with the rain's pouring help. Sue gave Sean a small smile, but shook her head.

Sean let out a quiet laugh. **"Sue,"** he said, pulling her in closer as he gave her a warm smile. His voice wasn't reprimanding, wasn't critical of anything she had just said. It was just comforting, kind-hearted, and understanding—like any good friend's. "Tonight **_was_** special, believe me. I had a great time."

 _"You sure?"_ Sue asked. There was doubt in her voice. Eyebrows raised with suspicion, Sue's eyes went to study Sean's seemingly unperturbed expression. Her arms rested on his shoulders. "You're not saying that because of me, or just because you're being a really, really, _**reaaaaaally**_ nice person? Because you could _**totally**_ be a super-nice person, Sean, and not even notice it—like, _**ever."**_

Sean let out another laugh. "Yes, Sue," he nodded. "I'm sure." He smiled at her again. As both of their arms tightened around each other, they rocked back and forth. And if it hadn't been for the heavy rain, Sue could have promised herself that she saw Sean faintly blush. "It was the first time I'd asked you to a dance, and you said _'yes.'"_

With that remark, all disappointment and frustrations could not last. Sue smiled the widest smile and brought herself closer into Sean's hold, both falling into an embrace. Their lips touched, and when they did, Sue was sure she had nothing more to worry about. If the nicest person she had ever known was happy, she could be nothing but happy, too.

And somehow, it turned out all right. His hand found her waist, her hand rested on his arm, their fingers fell into place, and in a moment, Sean was swaying her slowly (her right heel was still broken, after all) across the street, just outside the road to his house and hers, which stood not too far from it. And as they swayed, they softly spoke to and laughed with one another, dancing to the drumming murmur of the rain. Sean would eventually take her on many, many dances thereafter (and _finally_ get to put his frequent tux rentals to good use!), but Sue would always remember and say that their _**first**_ real dance was when they danced in front of both of their houses, out in the pouring rain.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _ **Bonus:**_

Axl had pulled back the curtains to the Heck living room, taking a quick peak outside after having heard some strange sounds. There was a loud rainstorm going on outside, and he didn't want to worry about some random lightning bolt coming down to black-out his entire neighborhood and dump of a house, thereby robbing him of his TV-time. There was also the threat of someone visiting the Heck house and blocking his precious football viewings, but he doubted anyone would be coming over to their place at this hour, although he did remember his dork of a sister Sue saying something about how she might be home a little later after attending a dance with Sean up at East Indy. What Axl _**did**_ see, however, was neither of those things—much to his horror:

his sister Sue and his best friend Sean dancing (and giggling like two idiot middle-schoolers) outside in the heavy, drizzling rain.

 _ **"Ugh!"**_ Axl exclaimed. He jumped back, groaned, and quickly whipped back the curtains into place—lest he should suffer any more eye damage. What followed were more shuddering noises; a final, **fully** disgusted groan to forever wipe that image from his brain; and the turn of his heel as Axl headed toward the kitchen to make himself a late-night snack, yelling all the way.

"Mom, make Sue stop dating Sean—she's turning him into a _dork!"_

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Haha... I really liked writing that bonus scene :'3


	3. Episode 3: Brotherly Interruption

**Prompt:** Sean and Sue are an established couple. Axl walks in on them making out. (Anonymous)

I didn't exactly get them to _**make out**_ lol sorry, but I hope you enjoy this just the same!

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 _"Sooooo_ how's your new apartment?" Sue asked excitedly. She set two plates down on the table in front of the couch as Sean worked the TV remote, getting a movie ready. She and Sean had been dating for a couple months now, regularly going out for a bite to eat every other week or so. Tonight, however, after a particularly long week of grueling classes for Sue, and a particularly jam-packed one for Sean as he'd spent most of it balancing between moving into his new apartment and studying for a biochem test, the two had decided to spend the evening together at Sue and Lexie's apartment instead. Lexie had had to step out to meet up with some other friends, so it had all worked out perfectly.

"Great!" Sean replied, helping Sue administer the silverware. He was clearly tired, but also very satisfied. "Once we got everything in the dorm packed and ready to move out, it was smooth sailing from there. Plus, we're all really happy that the rent is going to be _a lot_ cheaper."

"Aaahhhh I can't wait to see it!" Sue practically squealed, giving Sean a bright smile. As she laid out the last of their dinnerware, Sean clicked at the TV screen. Both sat back into and settled on the couch, scooting close together. Sean placed his arm around Sue, and she lay her head on his arm, her forehead resting comfortably on his shoulder.

"You know," Sean began as he pulled Sue in closer. "For our next date, we could spend it over at my new place." Sue looked up as Sean eyed her hopefully. "I'll ask, but I'm sure the other guys I share the apartment with won't mind. One's a med student like me, so he's always busy, and the other one's in engineering, so he barely leaves his room or is always studying somewhere else on campus. _**Soooo..."**_ Sean said with a small smile as he leaned in closer to Sue, "we could _definitely_ have the place to ourselves for a little while."

"Oh, _really?"_ Sue smiled back, also leaning in. Sean laughed softly, and Sue could feel herself also slowly moving in for a kiss as—

 _"What in the **WORLD?!"**_

The sound of Sue's apartment door bursting open—followed by a _**very**_ loud and furious voice—had caused her and Sean to instantly break away from whatever romantic moment they were about to have next. Both immediately pulled away from the other, irritated disappointment spreading across their faces as quickly as each began to sink deeper into the couch's cushions upon recognizing who had caused the disruption.

"Axl?!" Sue exclaimed. Her voice held a note of shocked annoyance.

 _"Dude—"_ Sean echoed simultaneously, with much the same tone.

 ** _"OH NO, YOU DON'T!_ UH-UH;** NO NO **NO** NO NO NO _**NO!"**_ shouted Axl. He had already fully formed before the two confounded lovers, waving his hands in wild demonstration before either could speak out against their intruder. **"Look,** I was okay when you two announced that you were 'dating' over Christmas, and I was reALLY, _**REALLLLLLLY**_ NICE TO BOTH OF YOU AND TRIED NOT TO GOUGE MY EYES OUT WHEN YOU GUYS STARTED HOLDING HANDS IN PUBLIC AND CALLING EACH OTHER 'MR. AND MRS. Q' OR WHATEVER, BUT AT SOME POINT, ALL OF THIS MADNESS _HAS_ TO **STOP—"**

"Axl!" Sue attempted.

"AND I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER!" Axl yelled. He stamped his foot down like a distraught toddler, giving Sue a hysterical look. "JUST BECAUSE YOU TWO DON'T AUTOMATICALLY MAKE ME **SICK** TO MY STOMACH WHENEVER I SEE YOU GUYS TOGETHER— _YOU'RE_ STILL **MY SISTER** AND _YOU'RE_ STILL **MY BEST FRIEND!** I MEAN, YEAH, I'LL SIGN THE PERMISSION SLIP TO YOUR WEDDING OR WHATEVER; AND _YES,_ 'SUE SUE DONAHUE' SOUNDS LIKE A TOTAL UPGRADE FROM WHATEVER CRAPPY MARRIED TITLE YOU COULD'VE BEEN STUCK WITH FOR HAVING SUCH A **SUCKY** MIDDLE NAME—"

"Hey!" Sean interjected.

"BUT THAT _**DOES NOT**_ MAKE IT COOL FOR YOU GUYS TO **ACT** LIKE YOU'RE MARRIED **_NOW,_** OKAY?! MY WORD, YOU TWO LIVE **ACROSS THE STREET** FROM EACH OTHER AND I ALREADY HAVE TO TRY NOT TO BARF EVERY TIME I GO BY EITHER OF THOSE PLACES! HAVEN'T I SUFFERED ENOUGH? HOW IS A GUY SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT HAVING TO SEE HIS SISTER AND BEST FRIEND _DOING—"_ Axl made some unintelligible hand gestures. **_"AUGHHHHHHHHHH!_** POINT IS, I'M **STOPPING** THIS _**NOW**_ AND AM NOT ALLOWING EITHER OF YOU TWO WITHIN TEN FEET OF EACH OTHER UNTIL MY SIGNATURE IS ON THAT PIECE OF PAPER, UNDERSTOOD?! END OF DISCUSSION!"

"Axl!" Sue spoke up again. She had finally seemed to succeed in getting her brother's attention as Axl let out a long and exhausted gasp, turning to give her a confused look. "First of all," Sue started, "this is **_my_** and _ **Lexie's**_ apartment: you have no right to just come barging in here whenever you want to; second of all, I'm not in middle school, Axl, that type of stuff doesn't work on me anymore; and **third,"** Sue finished, carefully lowering her voice as if breaking to a young child the biggest, most well-kept secret in the world, "it's _okay_ for a guy's sister and best friend to—"

 _"AUUUUUUUUGGHHHHHHHHH_ NO SUE **NO!** I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Axl's hands immediately went to cover his ears as Sue rolled her eyes (hard) and waved her hands in emphatic animation.

"Axl, you're dating **_Lexie!"_**

A puzzled blank seemed to register on Axl's face before recognition suddenly set in, rippling across it. Axl's hands dropped to his sides, and he shot Sue and Sean a heavily skeptical look.

"... Oh... Oh... **Ooooh,"** Axl replied slowly. He immediately took a seat across from the still two very astonished lovers. Sue and Sean exchanged uncertain looks as Axl's eyes scrunched together thoughtfully; he made some odd buzzing noises and started to count on his fingers, as if trying to figure out some very complicated math equation.

 _ **"Huhhhhhhh,"**_ Axl seemed to muse out loud after having reached the final conclusion to his calculations. His eyes suddenly narrowed as he aimed them at his sister and best friend, as if he were in the middle of questioning them during some intense cross-examination. "Hmmmmmm..."

A quiet "blip"-sound suddenly rang out of Axl's back pocket. He quickly jumped up, checking his phone. Sue and Sean looked on with uneasy glances as Axl quickly read through his newly-received messages.

"Oh, well, will you look at that," Axl said, returning his attention to the two anxiously-waiting onlookers seated on the couch. He flashed them his phone, along with his usual, cocky grin. "Looks like Lexie _wasn't_ here, after all."

Sue and Sean both rolled their eyes as they watched _**his**_ tolerably intolerable best friend and _**her**_ disturbingly tone-deaf brother bolt from his seat.

"Well," Axl said playfully, "you kids have fun." Axl's fingers formed two guns as he pointed them, almost as a warning sign, at Sue. "But not **too** much fun." The guns quickly shifted and directed themselves at Sean. "And I **_never_** wanna hear about it."

Sean let out a mildly annoyed sigh, but nonetheless, gave a complimentary nod to his best friend. Sue gave her brother a piercingly irritated and icy glare, Axl returning it with an equally as goofy and nervous grin. Sensing his cue to leave—and his audience's rapidly rising displeasure—Axl made a run for the nearest exit, quickly removing himself from his audience's line of sight, grabbing the apartment door, and slamming it behind him.

A moment of silence passed as the thoroughly mortified couple, having been _**finally**_ left alone, waited for the tension in the room to dissipate. As it did, both returned to their previous positions on the couch, scooting closer to one another. Sue let out an exasperated sigh as Sean reached for the remote and placed his arm around her once more, letting her head rest back on his shoulder.

"Sooooo," Sean started, turning again toward her. "Next time—my place?"

"Definitely," Sue answered, leaning in closer.

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Thanks for this great prompt btw! Axl is always fun to write (I hope I did him justice; his irate speech was a bit of a struggle :vv). Apparently, I also have a soft spot for Axl subconsciously approving of Sue and Sean lol. Also got the idea for Sean eventually moving into an apartment from another prompt that was sent in, but I haven't gotten to writing yet :33


	4. Episode 4: Nice or Stupid?

**Prompt:** Sue's car won't start, so Sean helps her out. (Anonymous)

I kind of took this a different way, but here you go! :D:D

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Sometimes, Sean wasn't sure if he was being nice, or really, _really_ stupid.

Having been raised a Donahue, Sean understood his duty to mature into a wise, beneficial, responsible, and respectable adult. For Sean, that mostly meant that, throughout his life, he'd been told to be carefully mindful of all his life choices, to _always_ uphold the Donahue family name and to _**never**_ tarnish it, and to serve as the neighborhood's paragon of moral excellence among the local youth. Such big responsibilities, of course, included the supplemental task of "being nice" to people: to always keep an open heart and mind that was willing and ready to help others.

Truth be told, Sean didn't mind having grown up the way he had. He saw the reasoning and sense behind his parents' habitually meticulous and scrupulous ways (although it could be over-bearing at times, he was never going to deny that). Doing copious amounts of "nice" acts for others, such as helping to take the trash out for a sick old lady two doors down, volunteering at every food drive, and spending hours shoveling snow from all of his neighbors' driveways— _ **all**_ of them: his mother Nancy had insisted that he knock on every door on, next to, or within foreseeable walking distance of their street—had shaped Sean into the very gracious, thoughtful, well-mannered, amiable, and respected young man that he was to hopefully become someday.

It wasn't like Sean didn't like to always take the time and energy needed to help others. On the contrary, Sean not only liked, but rather enjoyed, doing nice things for others, and he was always "open" enough and "willing" to offer up his hand to save or relieve someone else. Shoveling for all those hours out in the frosty, icy snow had not only allowed Sean to build some "character," but also instilled something else within him—the desire to be good, helpful, and a benefit toward and _**for**_ others, as well as to experience the inevitable joy that came with it. As far as Sean was concerned, "being nice" had its benefits: it allowed him to not only feel the bliss of knowing he'd made the right choices in life, but it also provided him with some necessary dignity, pride, and self-worth, fulfilling part of his life's purpose. It was one of the reasons why he had wanted to be a doctor when he was younger in the first place. Doctors toiled through med school, worked long hours, and dealt with all kinds of people—including their loved ones—because they wanted their patients to feel not only healthy and physically well, but also happy, content, and safe.

It's just that, at times, Sean questioned whether his out-going desire to help and fiercely "nice" ways could actually be interpreted as such. He _was_ human after all, and "being nice" had its limits. By "limit," Sean didn't mean the point where one no longer had the "open heart" or "mind" to give (although he'd admit there were times when he'd arrive at such a point, occasionally; "being nice" could be exhausting), but in regard to the act of "being nice" to others itself. Like that time his mom had told him to scrub through their neighborhood and ask every single person whose door was still standing if they needed any snow to be shoveled off of their driveway. He'd done as she'd asked, ending up at an old lady's door at 6 in the evening, about 2 miles away from his house. The old woman had been clearly grateful and completely touched (she had made him a cup of hot cocoa afterwards, and even gifted him with a small bag of Christmas cookies, to boot).

But, at some point, he had also sensed her disbelief. From her wheelchair, she had watched him vigorously dig up and pile out all the ice and snow that had accumulated on her driveway—then her front porch, and then backyard. And as he continued to robustly work at the chilled white dust, attempting to carve out with his spade a clean and clear pathway that reached from her back porch all the way to where the road met her driveway, Sean couldn't help but think that a small part of her was slightly taken aback by his gesture. Shocked—maybe even a little disturbed—that a boy of his age had walked this block and more to simply ask if anyone wanted to have snow shoveled off their driveway, and was even trying to excavate her entire house of the stuff, at this hour. That his great "act of kindness," on some scale, could be considered outlandish, excessive. Insane. A thought had then occurred to him: could making the right life choices end up playing **you** for a fool? Was it possible to be _too_ nice? Was that even a thing?

And that's when he would start to feel stupid. A fraction of embarrassment; a twinge of doubt. That maybe he wasn't being entirely truthful with himself when he was trying his hardest to deliver others out of a pinch. Not that he'd lost the ability to be genuinely "nice" to others, necessarily, after being told too many times to do so—but that'd he'd mindlessly mastered it. That he was _always_ willing to help and had a ready mind to do so, regardless of the circumstances. **Worse:** he didn't know when to stop. That he couldn't tell when "enough" was _enough,_ or "too much" was **too much.** Regardless of anyone's personal or sensible reservations about having him help them out.

He didn't always have this conflict when he was going out of his way for someone. Just sometimes. The feeling of uncertainty would only occasionally form in the back of his mind when his supposedly overly-courteous and gracious nature intersected with certain people in his life. Especially when it came to his current girlfriend. Especially when it came to Sue.

A sudden, low-vibrating ring came from his back pocket. Sean quickly moved to take out his phone, momentarily pausing from reviewing last-minute for a bio final he was supposed to have in about an hour.

"Hi, Dad?" he could hear as the caller on the other side of the line responded. It was Sue. Her voice was slightly hesitant, and she sounded a little worried.

"Hey, Sue, what's up?" greeted Sean. He hadn't been expecting a call from her right now.

"Sean? Oh, sorry, I must have speed-dialed the wrong number," Sue apologized quickly. There was an odd pause at her end.

"What's the matter?" Sean asked, flinching uneasily in his seat as the other students present in the study area gave him a look, reminding him that they were last-minute cramming for their exams, too.

"Oh, nothing; it's just my car," Sue explained. "It... somehow broke down in the middle of the highway on my way back to East Indy after I'd made a quick stop home. I don't know what's exactly wrong with it, but for some reason, it won't start..." Sean could hear Sue's voice fade out for a second, as if she were turning to take a look at something some distance away. "I'm about 30 minutes away from Easy Indy," Sue continued as her concerned voice returned through the speaker, "Halfway between it and Orson. Ugh, I didn't really want to miss class for this, but oh well." He heard her sigh briefly over the phone. "Thanks for picking up, Sean. I'm going to hang up now and call my dad—"

"Hang in there for a bit; I'll meet you in about half an hour," Sean responded, checking the library's clock against the time on his own watch. He wasn't sure if Sue was about to protest, thank him, or both, but he had already ended the call before he could hear her response. In a moment, Sean had quickly gathered all of his books and studying materials into his bag, put on his jacket, and headed out of the study hall door—keys in hand.

 _Perhaps "being nice" meant,_ Sean thought, as he took the nearest exit headed to Orson, _that you only went as far as the other person wanted you to. That you were only as "nice" or "helpful" as the other person's desired level. And that was it. Because anything above that limit would be uncomfortable—had the potential to turn awkward. Or strange._ Whatever. All Sean knew was that, at **_this_** moment, he didn't seem particularly bothered by whatever it was he was about to do. Rather, it felt like the **_right_** thing to do, and he felt good about it. So he did it, taking his car and heading down the highway toward Orson—away from his school and farther from his school's study hall—looking for Sue.

While such thoughts kept running through his head as he pumped the gas and was on the look-out for a bright pink jacket, Sean's thoughts completely passed away once he'd spotted her—about 35 miles from her university, standing alone and anxious on the side of the road. New thoughts, new feelings—the kind he felt when he was reaching out to help someone—came pouring into him as he hastily parked his car on the side of the road and jumped out of it. Those feelings heightened when, after running up to and warmly hugging her, he'd asked if she was okay (she was), took a look at her car, made a call, and offered to drive her back to East Indy as a truck came by to tow the car away. Her smile was all he needed: he felt good; he felt like he had done the right thing. That certainty, however, seemed to steadily fade as he began the drive back to his girlfriend's campus, dropped her off with a quick kiss, and started leaving for his own school's campus as well.

He decided he was **entirely** and _utterly_ stupid when he had finally arrived at the right school building and was rushing into the exam room where he was to take his bio final, already 45 minutes late. His feelings of lunacy were solidified as his professor gave him an oddly questioning, slightly judgmental look—probably for the first time that year—and reluctantly handed Sean his exam to be completed with the remaining allotted time (1 hour). It all felt like that time he had driven for hours and miles before arriving at his then-crush's door to ask her to the ball—only to be rejected—or the time before that, when he'd basically re-arranged his entire universe (that time, he had to re-schedule an entire exam, among other things) just to ask Sue to her senior prom. She had been grateful, yes, but also a little bit disconcerted, as he could tell by the weirdly surprised look on her face.

It wasn't the best grade he would ever end up getting on an exam—although it was still enough for him to pass the class, as he would later note to himself with (some) relief later. But as Sean hastily scooted into his seat and took out his pencil, organized his exam papers—and mentally **_prepared_** himself to take his biology final—he decided that he didn't really care whether his kind gestures or overly helpful nature ended putting him on the list labeled "stupid," rather than the "nice" one.

Sure, he conceded that whatever he had been compelled to do for the past hour, instead of mindfully preparing for this exam, made him feel like a complete idiot. No doubts about that. But, for whatever reason, Sean Donahue _himself_ felt no remorse for his actions, despite the foolishness. No regret. In fact, he felt rather energized and inspired to complete this test, if anything.

Perhaps, Sean thought, as his pencil went to bubble in the first answer to the test, _"being nice" **did** have its limits. Sometimes, people weren't expecting your help and didn't quite know what to do about it. Sometimes, you could overdo it and didn't know when to stop._ But, it was **okay** to feel foolish about it (generally-speaking). Because, despite pushing those limits, you'd never broken them for yourself in the first place. Rather, you'd gone beyond your own capabilities and expectations—and perhaps anyone else's, for that matter—because you had wanted so desperately to please and satisfy that other person. To create the most joy, happiness, security, and well-being for someone else.

Someone you cared for, someone you loved.

* * *

It was fun writing in Sean's perspective for once, instead of mostly Sue's. Also was a bit more introspective, but I hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Episode 5: A Snow-White Proposal

**Prompt:** Sue and Sean are an established couple, and he proposes while it's snowing. (Anonymous)

It's certainly still "snow," just slightly different 😉💮 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"That was delicious!" Sue exclaimed, looking at Sean with ecstatic satisfaction as she referred back to the restaurant they had just lunched at. Sean nodded, returning his girlfriend's giddy smile with a similar grin.

"Wasn't their toast absolutely amazing?!" Sue's voice was full of excitement. Her face momentarily turned serious. "Do you think the restaurant's toast tasted better because they used real butter instead of regular oil? My word, I've never even really had fried toast before; Mom usually just puts our regular bread into the toaster—which barely even toasts _lightly,_ half the time—and then forgets about it until wayyyyy later. But. That. Toast. Tasted. **So. Good!** Do you think I should ask the head chef at our place if he could start doing the same? The guests who order room service are always complaining that their toast isn't up to standard, and up until now, I've never understood what they meant until I tasted that extra-buttery and perfectly golden-brown slice of toast today!"

"You should definitely ask," Sean answered, laughing in agreement. "It certainly was one of the best slices of toast I've had in a while." He looked to Sue and smiled. "And it wasn't just because I had it over lunch with a special someone."

The two exchanged smiles as they walked down the street and made their way back to Sean's car and out of downtown Indianapolis, holding hands all the way. They were spending time together during the height of spring—it was late April, actually—but this was no Spring Break. Sue had finally gotten a weekend all to herself after working many late hours at her current job, while Sean barely had enough time to spare between his classes for med school and interning at the local hospital. It was only after casually comparing schedules and finding out, to their surprise, that they were both be free and would have some downtime this weekend, that Sean had suggested the two go out together and grab a bite to eat—just as a "surprise" outing.

Despite the long hours at her job, his hectic schedule, or whatever challenges they were both working through in order to spend more time together, however, Sue couldn't have been happier. Her chest was full and light; her cares were on cloud nine. Walking hand-in-hand with her boyfriend to his parked car and the brisk wind battering her face, Sue realized for the first time that she was indeed happy—completely and fully. After having successfully graduated from East Indiana State with a degree in Hotel Management a little over two years ago, Sue was working as the new lead in guest service at a local, but high-end Indiana resort. Despite the fast learning curves, Sue was fully enjoying being able to serve and satisfy the hotel needs of each of her incoming guests. Each day was a different and new, exciting adventure—one in which Sue could put her exceptional people skills and positive outlook on life to good use, never failing to a bring out a smile from anyone at the end of the day.

Sean, on the other hand, was in his last year of med school, working hard to do well in all of his remaining classes and to excel in his studies as he continued to work his way to become a doctor. Currently, he'd been interning at Orson's main hospital and actively interviewing at others—some closer to home while others much, much farther away—in order to prepare for his residency next year. Sue hadn't heard anything definitive about where Sean would decide—or want—to spend the rest of his time completing the final steps to his life dream by finishing his residency, but she had heard that all of his interviews had gone great so far and was sure that Sean would have no trouble getting offers from more than just a handful of hospitals, no matter who they were.

Even in regards to their relationship, Sue couldn't be happier. After that fateful Christmas during her third year of college, Sue and Sean had started dating, and had stayed dating for a while now, almost four years. Within that time, the two had been through a lot together: Sue's surprisingly eventful graduation; Sean's move to a new apartment; Sue's tumultuous search for a post-college job; her decision to take up a guest service position at Marie's Premiere Inn & Resort; Sean's second move to a new apartment (his very own now); Sue's transition to lead in guest service at her new job; Sean's third and exceptionally traumatic year of med school; and one almost-could've-happened, semi-serious "break-up" that never broke them apart, but taught the two a lot about keeping better communication, and was an important learning moment in their deepening relationship.

And yet, through all that, they had somehow only grown closer together. Every small hindrance; every new obstacle that seemed to throw a more troublesome, yet ultimately insignificant, curve into their relationship; each little teaching moment—had only helped them realize how much more they appreciated each other, taught them where patience stood between two lovers, how to be a better listener, and ultimately, strengthened their growing love for one another. Even now— _especially_ now—with all the temporary strains that seemed to be keeping them busier and farther away from each other, Sue couldn't help but think that her feelings for Sean were stronger than ever. There wasn't another person in the world whom Sue wouldn't hesitate to call without a moment's notice. Not another person whom she would trust to keep her closest secrets. Not another person with whom she wasn't afraid to share an embarrassing laugh; was sure only had her best interests at heart when they gently corrected her; always felt encouraged by when she needed it the most; or knew wouldn't mind holding her close to their shoulder and letting her cry her heart out like he did that absolutely miserable, stormy night. And there wasn't anyone else in the world for whom Sue would do the same. Or not mind giving every part of her self to. It was like, after surmounting each of these small hurdles, Sue began to realize more and more just how she wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life—or who with, for that matter.

She had everything she could ever need or wanted.

On their drive back to Orson, Sean suggested they stop by Sue's alma mater—just for fun and old time's sake—and because there were still a few good hours left in the day for this happy couple to spend it out on a "beautiful, _springalicious_ occasion" (his words, not hers) before heading back home. Sue had, of course, enthusiastically agreed. She could never miss out on an ideal opportunity to spontaneously sight-see, or just to simply enjoy the newly blooming flowers or sunny rays of spring. Plus, Sue noted to Sean as they were taking the exit to her university, it _would_ be Spring Break for a majority of "East Indy's" students, so there would be no one to bother them while they enjoyed the beautiful sights, or wonder why two practically near-grown adults were wandering aimlessly around campus.

Turns out, East Indy was absolutely beautiful in the springtime and during the vacant—almost deserted—week of Spring Break. The university's dogwoods were in full bloom, their flowers' pure-white petals drifting down like a new sheet of faintly pink-colored snow had just descended upon the college grounds. Sue marveled at the sight of another white petal floating by as she followed Sean's lead through the campus, somehow ending up in one of the university's larger and more floral courtyards—the one that had been closest to her and Lexie's apartment when they were still taking classes at East Indiana State. The two made their way across the freshly cut grass as a few more dogwood petals flew past them, finding and taking a seat at one of the benches that offered a more complete view of the more nature-like, spring-awakened courtyard.

"Remember the first time we were out here?" Sean asked, scooting closer in to Sue. She could feel him shake slightly against her, but still give her hand a tight squeeze in the chilly spring cold. She laughed softly.

"Yeah, it was snowing, and we had that whole mix-up with the Christmas dance thing-y," Sue replied. She turned to Sean with a soft smile on her face and loving admiration in her eyes. "I still can't believe you drove all the way back here and through all that snow just to come ask me out a second time once you saw the snow globe back at my house."

"I still can't believe you picked up the snow globe after I'd bought it for you but threw it in the trash," Sean replied with a big grin. The two shared a quick laugh as Sue watched Sean look thoughtfully into the distance, before continuing to speak again.

"All of these flowering trees remind me of the second time we were out here," Sean started. He seemed to be briefly lost in deep thought before turning to address his girlfriend with an curious look in his eye. "Wasn't it snowing that time, too?"

"It was," Sue said, nodding in agreement. She seemed to have joined Sean in his pensive observation of the falling dogwoods, trying to re-place the snowy memory. "I think it was in late-January? Right after Christmas and just before spring; I remember because it had barely snowed and you were super-stressed out about studying for that med school exam during your second year." Sue's face crinkled a bit under the remembrance of the thought and passing cold. "And then somehow Valentine's Day came up, and then plans for Valentine's Day came up, and then you said something about not having enough time to do anything— _ **much less**_ time to worry about Valentine's—and then I complained about how stressed out I was about finding a job after college, and we got into that huge fight." Sue shivered. "Ugh. I dreaded the whole rest of that month. We didn't speak for like, over two weeks, and then somehow we ran into each other because some of your friends were over here, and then we started talking—err, well, _fighting,_ I guess—again."

Sue looked to Sean and smiled.

"But then you screamed 'I love you' across the courtyard, and I screamed back, 'I do, too,' and we made up and promised to never, ever let stress get in the way or our relationship again," Sue said, her smile widening. She leaned in closer to Sean, their warm noses touching in the cold.

"Best Valentine's Day ever," Sean answered, giving her a brief, sweet kiss. The two smiled as they pulled away from each other.

 _They had come so far,_ Sue thought, _**together** —not just as one without the other._ As if reading her thoughts, Sue heard Sean's calm, unaffected voice speak again.

"That's why it's my favorite place," he said. It was almost as if he were admitting to her some small, embarrassing secret as he gave her a somewhat funny and mildly sheepish grin. "Because it reminds me of the first time we confessed to each other, and why we started getting together in the first place."

Sue smiled brightly, returning Sean's confession with another quick kiss to the cheek, as if to also say, "It's my favorite place, too." The couple scooted in closer as they continued to watch the petals on the dogwoods fall and allow the sight to remind them of that special, mid-winter's day.

"Hey, Sue, do you mind if I ask you something?" Sean suddenly started. Sue noticed Sean give her a slightly nervous look as his thumb seemed to fidget with his jacket's front pocket.

"Sure, Sean," Sue answered happily, "what's on your mind?" The words had barely left her mouth when, in a moment, she recognized Sean kneeling on the ground beside her, and Sue's unsuspecting eyes widened as both of her cold hands were clasped warmly into his—with a pretty, modest-sized ring glittering somewhere in between. Her mind and breath started racing as fast as the white dogwood petals seemed to be whirling about them now.

"Look, Sue, there's no easy way to say this," Sean unsteadily began, "But I've been thinking about this for a while now—for a _long_ while now, actually—ever since the beginning of my third year in college and the start to this one, my last year of med school."

He looked at her nervously.

"I know things are just all starting to sort of work out for the both of us right now, what with me finishing med school and you working it up to the lead in guest service after only a year. We're both just so busy right now, and—"

Sue gave an understanding, though hurried, nod as she watched Sean continue.

"Truth is, with me going on all of these interviews for my upcoming residency, I've been thinking a lot more about some things. About you and your job and about me and where I'm headed. I mean, who knows which hospital I could end up in. Could be really, really close to home; could be miles away... And, I don't know what I'm going to do about all of that yet. Haven't really decided where I want to go for my residency, just yet... But, what I do know, Sue, what I really, really want to do, Sue..."

He gave her an earnest look.

"... is to not spend anymore time away from you. I think this past weekend has reminded me of that, and a little bit of remembering what we did to get here did, too. I don't like us spending more time apart; I want us to spend the rest of our time together. Even if we're really busy, I still want us to get the chance to be together at the end of each day. Point is, there really isn't any other person I'd like to spend time with—that I just enjoy _**being**_ with. You make me better, Sue: we rescue and _help_ each other."

Sean's voice lowered as Sue heard him give a long, weary breath.

"It won't be easy, Sue; I'm not going to deny it. Especially if we _**do**_ decide to go ahead with it together. My residency requires that I stay on at least for another four years, and I know you've got a lot going on for you at your new job. And I'm not saying we have to get _married **now**_ —I mean, there's still a lot of time for us to think about everything and to plan or figure things out before I hear back from any of the hospitals. But... if you're ready, because _I'm_ ready, I don't think I could have asked for a better person whom I trust to help me make this all work out..."

Sue watched her boyfriend give her one final look of hopeful entreaty and full earnestness.

"So, Sue Sue Heck," Sean started off with a small, quiet smile, "would you like to spend the rest of your life with me?"

Sue beamed. A proposal isn't momentous because it's the ringing of those four words everyone has longed to hear their entire life: "Will you marry me?" It's momentous because the answer to that question isn't exactly a simply-worded one. Rather, the question's answer is far more complicated, much more _complex_ —a revealing testament to the love shared between two individuals. It attests to the level of affection, trust, and commitment that has been painstakingly attained by these two people. To prove that whatever exists in their relationship is void of fear, anger, or doubt. Sometimes, the answer is "no"; sometimes, it's "yes"; and sometimes, it's "wait" or "I'm not ready yet." But for Sue, the correct response to this question was very clear. In fact, if she had thought about it for a little while longer, it probably would have occurred to her that the thought had passed her mind once or twice before, much at the same time Sean had expressed thinking about it, too. That left **everything** —including any hesitation, doubts, or second-guesses—from clouding up her mind or judgment. Everything else immediately cleared away, leaving only one answer.

"Yes," Sue smiled as Sean's expression become less and less uncertain and more and more confidant. "Yes, Sean, I would love to spend the rest of my life with you."

The sun continued to give off its beautiful, golden glow. The cold spring breeze lessened just a _little_ bit. And somewhere in the distance an onlooking bystander gave a loud, congratulatory hoot as the newly engaged couple ecstatically stood up and jumped and hugged and smiled and laughed together. It was then noted that the overly thrilled couple joyfully fell into one another's arms and embraced, enveloped by the soft sprinkling of the white dogwood petals—which snowed upon them a third time.

* * *

LOL I really need to start adhering to the prompt haha, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! I honestly couldn't help myself—sorry! With Sean's med school stuff and Sue's future work prospects, I just couldn't see him proposing to her in the snow lol (and the OCD and obsessively-canonical fanatic within me likes stories to play out in one singular, as-close-to-canon-as-possible narrative in my head, sorry :VV). I really hope you don't mind :'DDD This prompt did make me think about something else though: would Axl and Lexie get married first, or would it be Sue and Sean? (I have my thoughts on the matter, mostly from another prompt that was sent in—so hopefully we'll get to explore that there! :DD)

Also, in case you were wondering, yes, I did do some "research" before writing this and googled if med students actually get Spring Break (I'm a big believer in writers looking up/researching whatever subject they're writing about). It varies from school to school, but it seems that in your last two years of med school (M3 and M4), you don't really get any big breaks (including summer ones because you're studying or interning/"working"). Apparently M3 is **hell** for med students, while M4 is when you start prepping for residency (which isn't all too different from me having to student teach for my major during my last year of university, I suppose). And yes, I also looked up if dogwoods grow up in Indiana—just to be sure :p And would you believe it, but they do—much more than I expected. Also, yes, their blooming period (in Indiana) is typically from early April to late May :pp


	6. Episode 6: Blind Love

**Prompt:** Brad and Lexie notice Sean and Sue flirting. (Anonymous)

Sorry this was a bit short and kind of went nowhere, lol...

* * *

Lexie and Brad exchanged weird looks. Their faces remained in puzzlement as they looked into the near distance, where two of their close friends were chatting away with each other farther down the cafeteria lunch line.

"It's so nice that we could finally have lunch together again, right, Suzy-Q?"

"No other place I'd rather be than with Mr. Q! I—I—I mean, with a good **_friend_** —like _k- **you!"**_

"Haha same for me, Ms. _K-you!"_

"Are they... flirting?" Lexie asked, leaning closer to Brad and lightly tapping his shoulder.

"Oh yeah— _ **totally,"**_ Brad replied, whispering back to her.

"But I thought..." Lexie started. She gave Brad a confused look.

"Oh well, whatever Sue said—forget it," Brad replied. He leaned over to his still very-much confused friend. "Sue's had a _terrible_ crush on Sean since pre-middle school. She'll tell you that she's totally grown out of it and over him after having gotten a bit older, but—oho! let me tell _**you**_ —she's _definitely_ not over her perfect daydream of a hunk guy like Sean and is still as goofy around him as ever."

"Eeeep!" squealed Lexie, gently batting Brad's arm. "Awwww, that is _**soooooo cute!**_ They'd be **perfect** together! And Axl and I could totally rock it on double dates with them!" Lexie's eyes instantly brightened with excitement. "Oooooh, what should we call them? What's their ship name?! We should totally make one up for them! Hmmmm, let's see Sue-an? Suess? Wait, what was Sean's last name again?... Donahue... Donaheck?" Lexie's face pondered thoughtfully for a second before it lit up and she gave a big gasp, grabbing Brad's arm and shaking it excitedly. "OOOOOOHHHH **DONASUE!** Donas _ueEEE!_ We should _**totally**_ call them that!"

"Shhhh! Not so loud!" Brad reprimanded. "And Sue can _**never**_ know that I told you about the ultimate secret to her childhood crush!"

"My lips are sealed," Lexie smiled, letting her excitement ebb just a little. "But we should totally set them up together! We can't let the amazing story of _Donasue_ die and be lost forever!"

"Can't," Brad replied in a serious, absolute manner. His eyes wistfully watched his two dear friends continue to unknowingly and subconsciously flirt with one another, as if they were two lost and forlorn lovers. "I'm pretty sure Sean was about to ask Sue out a couple months back. But then Sue blocked herself and got with the Postmates guy who was supposed to bring you your sandwich. After things didn't work out with the Postmates guy, though, Sue found out that the man of her dreams had just started seeing some girl he'd met in med school." Brad gave a long sigh. "So we can't break _that_ up to get them together right now."

"Awwww, that's so sad," Lexie said with a disappointed pout.

Brad nodded. "Yeah, they're like Romeo and Juliet... except they don't die, but also neither of them has been able to meet up with the other."

The two side characters looked on with despondent eyes as the tragedy unfolded before them, the two main actors of the play trying to insist—very awkwardly—on who should get the last cookie in the buffet line.

"O—o—oh, you can have it, Sue."

"Oh no, Sean, _**you**_ should have it. I've already gotten to eat _a ton_ of this cafeteria's cookies, anyway."

"Nahhh, I'm fine. Besides, it's a cookie and sweet—just like **_you."_**

"Oh, u—u—uh, okay... thanks, Sean!"

Lexie and Brad sighed sadly in unison. Lexie solemnly put her hand over her heart.

Ah, young love was **truly** blind—even when the rest of your friends _totally_ knew what was up.

* * *

This was actually really hard for me to write lol. I struggled with figuring out how to portray Brad and Lexie together, with Brad currently aware of Sue's crush on Sean and Lexie probably not knowing a thing (at this point in the show). Either way, it was fun writing how these two characters would interact with each other.

Sorry about the lack of stories last week; some life stuff that I'd been planning to attend to finally came up, and I didn't really have the time to write as much as I would've liked (plus, I kind of needed a break from all the intense writing I did the week before lol). But I'm back, and trying to get back into the swing of things as I try to work all this life stuff into my new schedule. Stories might be a little shorter as a result (this one's short mostly because I struggled with figuring it out, but whatever loool; short "regular" stories will probably be a little bit longer than this), but I'll try my best not to slack on the quality of any of them—and still have high hopes for getting to everyone's prompts! :'33 I'll be publishing another one in a minute or so. Hope y'all enjoyed this one, regardless—and **Happy Belated Thanksgiving,** y'all~!


	7. Episode 7: A Friend's Incentive

**Prompt:** Brad catches Sean lingering around Sue's classes (buildings) hopes of being able to walk with her and decides whether to ask Sean about it or try to set them up. (Non-anonymous)

The "walk with her" idea is so cute! Enjoy 😊

* * *

The tension within him rose. Sean took an uncertain, hurried peak from around the corner to one of the buildings on East Indiana State's campus. From across the street, he could spot a familiar figure standing just inside the big glass doors of East Indy's Economics and Statistics Building. At the moment, she was in the middle of a talk with someone. Sean felt the tension accelerate and rise higher within him as he watched her happily chat away with a bright, warm smile on her face. In a moment, it looked like she was beginning to wrap up the conversation, and he could tell she was about to head out of the building's doors any minute now.

 _Today,_ Sean thought quickly to himself, _today he'd work up the nerve to do it._ He felt the smothering sensation begin to suffocate his chest and brain again, and re-played the scenario in his head:

As soon as she was outside the building's doors, she'd be heading over to his side of the street. Once that happened, he'd immediately pop out from the corner of the building he was currently hiding behind and run— **very** _casually_ —up to the intersection she was heading toward—just so he'd be able to catch up to her right before she'd make her left turn. This maneuver effectively blocked that final turn as the two would inevitably make eye contact and recognize one another. Upon having their "chance" meeting, Sean would give a quick, friendly wave and an equally warm, but slightly surprised, greeting. Something like, "Hey, Suzy-Q, fancy meeting _you_ here!" Warm and friendly, pleasantly surprised, and delightedly enthusiastic. But not _too_ enthusiastic—he didn't want to seem _**too**_ excited, or give her the wrong idea (he was **not** a stalker, after all). As soon as he'd make verbal contact, she'd turn around with that bright, warm smile on her face, and say—

 **"Hey, Sean!"**

The lively, friendly greeting wasn't necessarily loud, but Sean had been so lost in his thoughts and so focused on when to make his next move that the cheerful, everyday greeting had completely thrown him out of his wits. Sean had nearly fallen over from the welcoming, unexpected sound—mostly because he'd been leaning forward ever so slightly on his anxious tippy-toes against the building's edge—before he had quickly regained his balance and composure and spun around, recognizing his greeter.

"Oh, hey... Brad! What's up?" Sean greeted back, smiling a nervous smile. His ears and neck seemed to heat up as he turned to address his friend. "I was just, uhhhhh—looking for the Sullivan Commons Building!"

Brad's troubled expression and slightly raised eyebrow didn't seem to register what Sean had just said, so Sean decided he needed to elaborate a bit more on his story to make it seem more convincing: "I, uhhhh, just got off of class a few minutes ago and don't have to go to my next one until after my hour-long break." He fidgeted, rubbing the back of his neck. "And, uhhhh, I was looking for your guys' commons building near the biology and physical sciences area because it's close to where our own commons building for the science majors is at. I go to yours instead, though, because it's much more quiet and better—it has better snacks." He shifted slightly. "But I got lost somewhere along the way—n—n—n—not that I _haven't_ been to your guys' commons building before—" Sean gave a shaky laugh. "It's just that I tried getting to it from a different way, and I wasn't sure how to get to it from _**this**_ side of campus."

"Uh huh, yeah, sure," Brad replied. His reply sounded thoughtful, but also a bit dubious. Sean held his breath for just a moment longer as his friend seemed to give him a hard, serious look and went to study his earnestly illustrative face, but then gave a disinterested shrug, letting all the confusion on his own face fall as Brad's suspecting eyebrow immediately dropped.

"Well, that _would_ explain why you've been standing out here like a lost, nervous puppy for the past five days," Brad consented. Sean immediately panicked, but his friend instantly brightened up, clapping his hands together. "You should have asked me or Sue to help you find the physical sciences commons building if you were lost, though, Sean! Well, maybe _not **me**_ because I generally don't get here until about 15 minutes later—we got off early today because our professor was done having to stay late to personally discuss our papers—but anyway, I usually don't see Sue until I'm halfway down this block. That's usually when I'll meet up with her, and then we'll walk all the way over to her next class, which is gen bio." Brad rambled on as Sean tried to listen carefully until his friend's eyes got really wide and his finger emphatically pointed directly across the street. "You _**know**_ Sue has a class close to here in that building just over there, right?"

Sean had barely had enough time to say anything in response to Brad's query (or deny that he knew _anything_ about that) before his friend had eagerly waved to someone who was appearing in the corner of Sean's eye and quickly coming into view.

"Hey, Sue!" Brad smiled excitedly as Sean saw her coming over and joining the two of them. The tension in his chest not only seemed to intensify, but also turned itself over, giving him a terribly upsetting, sinking feeling. Brad and Sue eagerly hugged and exchanged greetings— including Sue saying "hi" to Sean before Brad quickly grabbed her shoulders and directed her back toward the intersection—the direction in which they'd all be turning toward and starting their walk at in order to make their way to the physical sciences area. Brad addressed Sue with avid amazement, saying: "Did you know that Sean's been coming here **_everyday_** after class, looking for the Sullivan Commons Building? He's been lost for the past five days trying to find it, though, and I was just telling him that he should've totally asked you or me to help him!"

"Oh, wait, what really?" Sue remarked. Sean saw her quickly turn around and give him a sympathetic smile; it made his stomach weaken even further as he tried to offer up an embarrassed grin. "Yeah, Sean, Brad and I would have been happy to help you—or you should have come with us! We would've totally been able to help you find the way!"

"Sullivan is _**right** next to_ Sue's general biology class so you would've been fine!" Brad added with a bright smile, and Sean gave another weak smile in return.

Sean felt like an idiot as he turned the corner with his two friends and followed them down the road leading straight to the Sullivan Commons Building. The uneasy feeling he'd previously felt rolled from his chest down to his stomach as he felt like an awkward third-wheel between his two friends, silently following behind them as they walked a few steps ahead and happily chatted away about some surprising fact Sue had heard about in statistics class.

"Did you know that the average person is 25% more likely to die on their birthday than any other day of the year?" Sue said with utter shock in her voice.

"No. _**Wayyyy,"**_ Brad replied, reaching into his pocket and taking out his phone.

"I know, right?" Sue replied. "It's like everybody could be celebrating your birth or impending death—all at once!" The complete amazement and wonder on Sue's face made Sean wish he was the one talking to her at that very moment.

"Oh, by the way, Sue—I've been meaning to tell you," Brad started. He quickly waved his phone at her. "I'm not going to be able to walk with you to gen bio anymore because my drama club's daily practice has been rescheduled."

"Awwww, noooo," Sue responded with a frown and clear disappointment on her face.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that," Brad said with an equally as disappointment frown, then sighed. "But the nearby dorms have all been complaining about how loud we get while performing _Macbeth_ in the late evenings, and you can't stop a drama-lover's heart from screaming about murder, so what **_can_** you do?"

Sue's sad expression remained, but her head nodded in understanding.

"But, hey!" Brad exclaimed. His face immediately brightened. They had stopped mid-way on the street and about halfway to their destination since Brad now had to pre-maturely break from their walk in order to leave for his newly re-scheduled practice. _**"Sean**_ can walk with you to bio class! He's already done with his classes about the same time you are, and he's going to be walking to Sullivan's everyday, anyway! I'm sure he'd **_love_** to take my place and walk with you to bio each day, _right, **Sean?"**_

For the second time that day, Sean felt like he was going to almost fall over as he heard his name being unexpectedly called again. It took a minute for him to mentally regain his balance and composure as Sue and Brad both watched him patiently, the latter giving him a strongly encouraging look.

"O—o—oh yeah, uhhh— _absolutely,"_ Sean replied, giving both of his friends a more confident smile. Well, more like he glanced at Brad with a mildly confused look and then gave Sue an awkwardly affirmative grin. "Y—y—yeah, I'd _**totally**_ be happy to walk everyday with you to your general bio class, Sue."

"Awww, see? Everything's all worked out!" Brad answered, beaming very happily and satisfactorily at Sue. He turned to face his two remaining friends. "Well, this is my stop," he said. "First one to drama club gets first pick at all the best parts, and I will _**not**_ settle for Castle Onlooker #2 today!"

And with that, Brad Bottig, who was determined not to give anything _less_ than a stellar performance that day, was off. As he was leaving, Sean couldn't help but feel a bit weird about the whole situation, what with the overly hasty and sudden way his friend had just left Sean and his secret crush all alone on the sidewalk to Sullivan's—not to mention how many times Brad had unusually emphasized his name. In fact, Sean was pretty sure his friend had winked at him as Brad eagerly waved goodbye to both of his friends. Sean pondered over the seemingly odd situation a little more, but then decided to ultimately shrug off the weird feeling as he found himself walking up and standing next to Sue, make pace with her, and started walking with her for the rest of the way to her general biology class.

* * *

"Fun" fact taken from this article (don't take it too seriously; idk about the actual study). The Sullivan Commons Building is named after Jeremiah Sullivan, who named Indiana's state capital. Also yayyyyyyyyyy! for the first non-anonymous ask! Hope you liked it! :DDD


	8. Episode 8: Timely Revelations

**Prompt:** Sue finds out that Sean has liked her for years. (Anonymous)

* * *

"Ughhh, _**why**_ did I ever let you drag me and Lexie to this?" moaned Axl. His limp body folded further into his seat as his head slumped over the restaurant table, forming a sad-looking mop of dark curls.

"Oh please, Axl," scoffed Sue from the other side of the booth. She and Lexie, who was sitting next to Axl, were administering the four menus. "You know we barely get enough time to see each other anymore since we're all so busy. This was the _**perfect**_ opportunity for us to not only spend quality time together as friends and family, but to also enjoy a romantic evening with our significant others."

"UGHHHHHH, distant family members should **never** be forced to go on double dates with one another—it's unnatural!" groaned Axl. His fiery protest faded as his bent figure slumped slowly back into the booth. "Especially on Valentine's Day..."

Sue couldn't help giving her brother an irritated eye-roll, but she also couldn't seem to wipe the worry from her concerned eyebrows. She didn't like to admit it, but Axl had been right: she hadn't expected for it to be _**this**_ busy on Valentine's Day. Their troupe had waited in line for a little over an hour in hopes of enjoying a nice, festive dinner together, and had only just been assigned their table a few minutes ago. Apparently, they hadn't been the only ones who'd come up with the idea of having a pleasant evening dinner with their loved ones as a way to take a break from their busy schedules. The whole restaurant, which was a fairly popular, local eatery, was packed with couples who had probably gotten the exact same idea hours ago.

Sue's anxious eyes turned to scan the expanse surrounding their group's booth, taking in the entirety of the restaurant's over-crowded seating area as another low grumble escaped Axl's lips. For a moment, Sue saw nothing but a boisterous mix of laughing, chattering, and smiling faces before her eyes caught sight of someone appearing out of all the noise, making his way through the maze of cramped seating and tables.

"Hey, guys, what'd I miss?" Sean asked, appearing at their table. "Sorry it took so long for me to park the car; the line outside was really long so I had to find another parking space, and the heavy snow out there made it hard to see so I had to go down two more blocks."

"I'm dying!" Axl wailed, his face momentarily bobbing up from the edge of the table before sinking back down again. "I need food..."

"Not much," said Sue, substantiating Axl's alarming response with a much more sane answer. She scooted over to let Sean slide in and take a seat beside her, handing him the menu. "We just got our seats here; they haven't come over to take our orders yet."

Sean nodded as he took the menu from her and started browsing through it. For a moment, things seemed to pick up again as a few waiters headed toward their table, but then quickly turned to help out other customers. The four sat uncomfortably at their booth for about another fifteen minutes trying to get any waiter's attention before Axl threw up his hands and groaned again.

"Argghhh, what are they doing in there—roasting a polar bear?!" Axl asked out loud in clear, vocal frustration.

"Oh, I know, I know!" Sue suddenly piped up in excitement. She had to do _something_ before her over-the-top brother completely imploded. "How about we all play a little game while we wait for someone to come by and take our food orders?"

"Oooh, that sounds fun!" Lexie responded with delight as Sean nodded. Lexie's face then quickly became perplexed. "But what kind of game should we play?"

"Hmmmm... well, it needs to be entertaining enough so that we'd all be interested, but still boring enough so that we won't get _too_ interested—just enough to help us comfortably pass the time until someone comes over to take our orders," Sue wondered aloud. "Oh! I know! How about we each get to think and ask the rest of the group a question that everyone at the table has to answer individually? Aaannd the question _has_ to have something to do with our relationships," Sue suggested with a small smile. "In order to keep in-line with the Valentine's Day theme."

"Oh oh oh! Me first! Me first!" Axl shouted, his whole body suddenly bolting up as he enthusiastically waved his hand. Because as lame as he thought this game was, Axl was dying to do anything that would take the attention away from his starving stomach. "I get first dibs on answering whatever is the first question!"

"All right, I'll ask first," Sue said. She paused to think for a second. "Okay, here's my question: when was the first time you fell in love with your significant other?"

"Well, the first time _**I**_ fell for Lexie was..." started Axl, trying his best to entertain the question. Talking about this kind of touchy-feel-y stuff had never been Axl's strong point, but he could talk a dog into buying one of his business products if he really wanted to, so he tried his best to consider his answer to Sue's proposed question. Axl scooted closer to Lexie and put his arm around his girlfriend, pulling her close. "Uhhhh... I think it was a little bit right after I'd divorced April? Sue had told me that Lexie really liked me all of a sudden, and for a second, I was a little weirded out..." Axl shifted in his seat. "So then I decided I'd go over to that St. Patrick's party to find Lexie and talk to her. So I walked all the way over where they were having the party, searched high and low in the crowd for Lexie, and when I finally found her and spotted her just a _few_ feet away from me, I thought—"

Axl turned to Lexie with an earnest, fond look in his eye that most probably hadn't thought he was generally capable of, while Sue and Sean looked on with expectant faces.

"She's... really... cute, and... I'm a cool guy, right? I'm glad she likes me; I really need to break up with April so we can go out sometime," Axl finished lamely. Axl turned to give his date the warmest smile and most lovingly deep gaze, a look that perhaps much better communicated to his audience his clear and true affections for his girlfriend than his story had been able to express.

The intense anticipation on Sue's and Sean's faces quickly faded as Axl had reached the end of his tale, but Lexie only smiled and giggled like an excited, lovestruck girl anyway.

"Mine was when you rescued me from falling in your Winnebago that time me and Sue had to stay over at your guys' place one night," Lexie responded, her smile growing wider. Axl's sincere smile grew with hers, and he pulled Lexie closer into him as they both went in for a quick kiss.

"All right, I'll go next," Sean offered happily. Everyone's attention turned to him as they watched Sean sit still for a minute, pondering his answer to the question. Finally, after a long moment, Sean quickly answered. "Fifth grade—elementary school dance."

"Wait, _realllllllyyyyyy?"_ Sue gasped in shock, leaning a bit out of her seat to look over at her boyfriend with a startled look of surprise.

"Yeah, what?!" Axl echoed, immediately looking up from the empty straw wrapper he was currently playing with.

"Oh, yeah, totally," Sean answered. He seemed quite confident and sure in his response. "I think I was in fifth grade, and you were in third. We were having that annual Christmas show at our elementary school. You were in that pretty pink dress, and I thought you looked really cute and you were really funny your class came up to present, and you were trying really hard to keep up with everyone else during the dance." Sean gave a little laugh, recalling the memory. "And then later, during the party, when I was looking for Axl, I spotted you crying in the corner of the classroom because one of the kids had taken your candy cane." Sean gave a deep breath and shook his head. "And... I don't know what happened... But at that moment, all I could think about was 'Axl's sister is a really nice and sweet person, and I don't ever want to see her cry like that again.' So then I went to look for the kid who had stolen your Christmas candy. Found him and knocked him out, but it turns out he'd already eaten your candy cane so I ended up giving you mine instead." Sean shrugged. "I think I had a bit of a crush on you for about a week after that, but I didn't really think much about it because we used to play with each other all the time so I thought whatever I was starting to feel toward you was normal for childhood friends... I guess, even though I knew I was feeling a bit differently about you back then, I didn't really know what to call it since you and I were so young and we were all just kids... but now, looking back, I think... I think that's when I just started to realize... that... I liked you a lot."

A brief pause filled the table as everyone became quiet, clearly touched by Sean's sincere, thoughtful, and (for some) very surprising answer. Sue gave Sean a wide smile and reached for his hand, beaming as she told him how sweet his story was.

"And I thought Sue liking you since middle school was worse," Axl replied with a half-smirk.

"Axl!" Sue exclaimed, clearly still very embarrassed and horrified at her brother revealing her adolescent feelings for her childhood crush.

"Whaaaat? You were always making those 'googly eyes' at Sean whenever he was over—like that time he came over to play video games with me for our class project," Axl retorted, scrunching up his nose in brotherly disgust at the remembrance of his sister's painfully obvious feelings of love. "Not to mention that ridiculous poem you wrote for him in junior high."

Sue could only splutter in response to her brother's brazen reply as Sean looked up from the table in complete surprise.

"That poem was about _**me?!"**_ Sean exclaimed. The recognition, as well as smile, on his face grew wider.

"Wait, you **_read_** it?!" Sue cried out with utter shock, terror, and panic in her eyes. She immediately turned to Axl. "Axl, did _**you**_ give Sean my poem?"

"What? No! Please, I sacrificed my dignity for your stupid, dorky-girl fantasies! I did _**not**_ claim to dot my _i_ 's with butts for this!" Axl shouted back, trying hard to defend himself in a very incoherent manner. Sue and Lexie exchanged odd looks.

"Wow, I had no idea you felt the same way about me when we were just kids," Sean thought out-loud, clearly fascinated and mystified at the revelation. He turned to his girlfriend. "You should have told me; I would have asked you out to a dance much sooner."

"I can't either," Sue laughed in response, the same level of surprise and mystified fascination layering her voice. Her eyebrows then crinkled together slightly. "Still... I can't believe we started liking each other when we were both so young..." Sue looked up to Sean, concern and slight worry echoing at the back her voice. "You... don't think it's weird?"

"Nahh, we played a lot together as kids," Sean replied matter-of-factly. "I think it's kinda cute, and probably normal for people who spent so much time together, anyway." He looked to Sue and smiled, squeezing her hand with firm re-assurance. "Besides, if anything, I think it kind of means that, maybe... we were always meant to be with each other."

Sue's face brightened up and she smiled, returning Sean's honest words and sweet gesture with a loving squeeze of her own and a bright look. Sean gave her an encouraging smile and leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the lips. Lexie squealed at the couple's antics, delightedly and affectionately choking her boyfriend's arm.

"Word, you two make me sick," Axl said, rolling his eyes in utter disgust. His stomach growled. He angrily threw away the straw wrapper, missing his intended mark before quietly muttering under his breath. "I should have never, **_never_** allowed you to convince me to come to this."

* * *

First of all, thanks so much for all the FanFiction reviews! It's been really heart-warming and encouraging to see all the love for my writing and stories. Special thanks to "hiii" and Polina Fisher—I'm glad you think I write Brad so well! I was really nervous about my characterization of him; I'm so glad you both enjoyed it! :D :D

DID YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY NIGHT?! DID YOU SEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?! OH MY GOODNESS I'M SO HAPPY IT FINALLY HAPPENED AND THEY'RE BOTH TOGETHER! IT WAS REALLY THE MOST PERFECT PAIRING-UP I COULD HAVE EVER POSSIBLELY IMAGINED! *SOBS TEARS OF JOY*

I'M SO SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONGGGGGGGGGGGGG! But I really struggled with this one: I've been working on it for the past two weeks and in the process, I actually ended up writing a totally different story for this prompt because some parts to this one just weren't working out (I finally did get it to move in the direction I wanted to, though :'3). I also started working last week, so had to take a break from writing in general for a little bit. Good news is that I have the first drafts of the next two stories/prompts I want to post done, so hopefully those will come out a lot faster. I also might post the extra story I ended up writing for this prompt because I _did_ like how that one turned out (it just didn't seem to quite fit the actual prompt). *fingers crossed the next two stories come much faster than this one*

BUT YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU LIKED THIS STORY OR WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE OR OF YOUR DONASUE FEELINGS IN GENERAL I STILL CAN'T STOP SPAZZING OVER THE WHOLE THING LEOL! 😭❄️💕


	9. Episode 9: The Truth about Hugs

**Prompt:** Sean and Sue cuddle on the couch while watching a movie. (Anonymous)

So I, uhhhh… decided to go with a different writing "style" this time around, hehe… included a bunch of types of hugs/cuddles, but the movie scene is still in there! 😉💕

* * *

Human affection is an interesting thing, Sue Heck decides. Sure, she's been with a few good boyfriends throughout her dating life, and has had her fair share of hugs and kisses inherent to the functioning of each relationship. But it isn't until she starts dating her current boyfriend Sean Donahue that Sue begins to think there's a little more to another's display of physical affections than just the plain touch. A kiss isn't just a kiss anymore, and a hand on the shoulder isn't another warm embrace. It's only when you truly love someone, Sue surmises, that a simple touch from the person you care about can mean so much more—and so many different things:

 _ **Support / Encouragement.**_

"I did it! I did it!" she shouts. There's a big smile on her face, and she can't contain her joy and excitement, waving a crisply-rolled piece of paper as her cap and gown bounce up and down on the open, crowded playing field. Her entire family is there to congratulate her, and she exchanges a hug with each of them, working down the line of relatives until she makes it to the end, and greets him.

"Congratulations, Sue!" he says, appearing alongside her overly-ecstatic family members. His smile is as wide—and as proud—as hers. He motions to a bag he's been carrying with him. "Here, I got you a gift."

She smiles brightly and takes the bag from him, reaching in and pulling out a small cardboard box before opening it, and peering inside.

"Oohh!" she gasps aloud, just as the lid folds open. "My very own service bell! It's even got a cute Orson cow design on it and is in my favorite color as well!" She squeals in awe, excitement, and delight. "Thank you, Sean this is _**such**_ a sweet gift! I love it!"

He nods, and then smiles. "I wanted to give you something that you'll be able to use right away at your new job. I know you're going to be great at managing a hotel someday, Sue; your guests are going to love you. You've worked really hard to get here, and I want you to know that I'm really proud of you."

"Well, nothing says 'Sue Heck at your service' better than having your guests to ring your very own, _actual_ service bell!" she responds with avid enthusiasm, beaming. She holds up his wonderful gift to show to everyone before saying, "I just hope you're really right about me getting a job soon, Sean. I'd hate for _'Sue_ -vice' to go out of business before it even gets started!" She's obviously joking, but there's a hint of nerves and an odd awareness of true, approaching reality hidden underneath her care-free grin.

"You'll get one; I know you will," he says, laughing in response. And he pulls her in for a hug. It's warm, strong, inviting, and firm—and _**exactly**_ what she needs right now. His warmth is welcoming, and it spreads all over her, chasing away all her feelings of self-doubt and of being over-whelmed by thinking of everything she still has yet to accomplish. His wide, strong arms block out all of the unnecessary noise (there were _a lot_ of jubilant students reunited with their equally as exuberant parents that day); her speeding adrenaline rush; and all of the new, impending chaos beginning to surround her as his firm, steady hold lends her hope. For once, she can hear herself think again, and her rising fears for the future begin to steadily fade away.

She closes her eyes as his arms tighten encouragingly around her, and she reaches around him as well, carefully holding onto her diploma in one hand and his thoughtful gift in the other.

Their embrace is normal and sweet—a typical display of affection from any couple. But this one is unlike any other. It's the hug he gives her to tell her that he's happy for her, that's he's here for her, and that he believes in her. That he's not only here to celebrate her great achievement thus far, but also to remind her of the support, love, and encouragement he will always have for her as her journey continues beyond this life-changing point.

The future ahead is bright, afterall, but it is still, relatively, unknown.

And it's the same supportive, encouraging, and congratulatory hug he gives her when she announces with unbridled glee that she's found a job in guest service at a local hotel just a few months later.

 ** _Protection._**

She shivers as she helps him stack another donation box for Orson's Annual Christmas Food Drive. Once the last box is stacked neatly on top, they stand next to each other in front of his house, waiting for their moms to drive by and to come pick the boxes and them up.

"Bbbrrr," she says, shaking in the winter cold. Her nose, cheeks, and the tips of her ears are all flushed, while everything else beneath her puffy, pink coat is quietly rattling. She can already feel the frosty, iced air start to chill her bones as it begins to seep into her thinly-layered mittens, making her fingers go numb.

Suddenly, she feels a certain pressure and warmth encapsulate her entire body. He's standing behind her with both arms wrapped fervently around her, his heavily jacketed and insulated arms soundly holding her.

"What are you doing?" she asks, looking up with a curious smile on her face and a bright, rosy-red nose.

"Protecting your from the cold," he replies openly. The light note in his voice indicates that he's teasing her, but his arms stay wrapped securely around her, and his hands don't break away until they spot their moms' car driving up in the distance.

It's a cute and adorably romantic gesture he's done, she thinks to herself as she feels the full length of his warmth around her shoulders. It's the type of ridiculously cheesy thing a couple (like them) would do. But somehow, as they wait for those few, short minutes to slowly trickle by, she finds herself feeling warmer, less colder—somehow _safer_ —and with greater strength and determination as she stands up a little taller, and a bit more comfortably, against the terrible cold.

 _ **Comfort.**_

She had come home after a long day at work. He was sitting on the couch, unwinding to some TV as she opened the apartment door and entered.

"Hey, Suzy-Q! What's up?" he asks in his usual, welcoming and amiable manner.

She doesn't respond right way, quietly locking the door as she ponders her answer; and when she turns, he immediately recognizes the sadness in her eyes that typically isn't on her usually cheery, upbeat face.

"What's wrong?" he asks her. He's instantly up in his seat, eyebrows raised in serious worry as she silently trudges over.

She's unable to speak a word, stumbling forward and crashing onto him as soon as she's made it to the couch.

"Hey… it's okay," he answers softly, taking all of her into him. He moves over to let her find a place in the space between his arms; her whole body sinks into him as her head falls near his neck. As her small frame sinks deeper into him, it's like a pile of incredibly tense and heavy emotions has been weighted onto his lap. He quietly places one arm completely over and around her back, while the other moves to bring the rest of her together. By the time he's holding her to him, she's already breaking apart, thin lines of tears streaming down her cheeks.

The warm, comforting tenderness with which he pulls her closer to him tells her that he cares. The patient, loving quietness he displays as he gently strokes her back, soothing her sobs, tells her that he's ready, waiting, and listening. That he doesn't quite know what's happened to set off her feelings in this way, but that he _understands._ It doesn't matter what kind of horrible situations she's had to pull herself through for today; they'll figure out all of that stuff later. What matters right now, in this moment, is that he's holding her, that he's simply there to offer his support and comfort to her as her world falls apart. And that's all she needs right now—his **presence.** His unyielding desire to not let her go because she's already been let down too many times today. And _that's_ what he gives her as he pulls her even closer into him, wiping the tears and wet strands of hair away from her face, and she cries her heart out into his chest.

 _ **Care / Love.**_

It is night. All the lights are turned off, and their little apartment is quiet and still. The only other movement in the room is the flashing of the TV screen, which switches from one exaggerated face to the other as soft blue and purple-ish hues set their faces aglow.

A funny scene flashes on the TV, and they both laugh quietly together.

His arm is resting on her shoulders; his fingers barely brushing against her. Her head is lying between the start of his shoulder and the peak of his chest, her whole form leaning against his. Both of her legs are bent and bundled upon the couch, while his whole back is resting comfortably against its cushions.

For a moment, she shifts, and as if by natural response, he does, too. Her upper body moves to fit snuggly back into the crooked space created by his arm and torso, and his whole body mirrors her movements to let her back in. And for a moment, they briefly wrestle—he's desperately trying to find her and she's frantically looking for him—before he's been quietly fitted to her and she's nicely fitted into him once again; and they're nestled against each other like a perfectly tangled puzzle on the living room couch. His arm pulls her closer into him, and her arm reaches over to fully hug him beneath the blanket covers.

It's just him, and it's just her. There are no unnecessary movements, no extra noises, no other distractions.

Just pure, happily contented silence.

There are no words; there don't need to be. The way his arm is wrapped so easily around her shoulders, and the way she's snuggled warmly into his side, tells her how comfortable they are with one another. The way he leans into her as he holds her closer, and the way she knows she can happily rest her head on his chest forever, tells her how completely and fully they trust and understand one another. And the way they gradually move closer and closer toward each other, deeper and deeper, until all she hears is the sound of his soft breathing and her heart beating in unison, tells her how much he loves her and how much she loves him—and all she needs to know about the two of them being together.

And for Sue, those are her absolute favorite moments: her most precious, deeply cherished thoughts when thinking about finding any type of human affection in Sean's arms. It's moments like that when she believes she truly understands what it means to experience another person's affectionate touch, what it means to be carefully held—what it's like to be in love.

And it's that realization that fills Sue with the truest warmth; it's that realization that makes her the happiest. And as her realization grows, she finds herself moving closer and closer to Sean, scooting closer and nearer to him—to share with him this warmth, this happiness. She's pretty sure he feels the same way, too, as he starts to bring himself closer to her as well, the two cuddling so close to each other. And it's in that moment, when Sue finds herself fitting so warmly, snugly, and perfectly in Sean's arms, that she knows she couldn't be happier.

* * *

Wanted to try something different so went for something that was a little more… drabble-ish? :PP I guess if Episode 4 could be considered Sean's introspective, than this one can serve more of as an introspective for Sue.

Hope y'all enjoyed, and that this story sorta half-fills the void while we're all waiting for the show to come back after the break! Excited to see what's next for Sue and Sean, especially after those press release spoilers/pics lololol.

Also someone tell me if this story came off as too cheesy leool; my goal was to be more "fluffy" this time around because of the incorporation of hugs/cuddles, but who knows how my execution of "fluffy" actually came out as leoleoleoool.

My next one should be out soon…ish? I'll try to get it done, at least by the end of this week :P :P


	10. Episode 10: A Brother's Blessing

**Prompt:** Axl finds out that Sean and Sue are engaged, and actually reacts nicely. (Anonymous)

Written in Axl's perspective 😋

* * *

Axl was in the kitchen, rummaging through all of the Heck cupboards in search for the right stuff to make himself a sandwich. He slammed shut a cupboard door before likewise closing the refrigerator's, setting down all of his newly-obtained, edible plunder on the kitchen counter-table. A bag of bread, only a third of the way full. A small container of leftover ham. Three and a half slices of cheese. Some lettuce. A tomato. One bottle of ketchup, almost empty. And one nearly, almost-as-empty bottle of mustard.

Axl sighed happily to himself, breathing in the scent of his pre-conceived sandwich. Peace and quiet at last. He hadn't had a particularly long day at work (although talking your mouth off about whatever bathroom products your company wanted you to sell next could sometimes take its own disturbing, mental toll). He wasn't particularly hungry or starving either, but Axl Heck was always up for filling up the endless hole in his stomach.

But mostly, Axl had retreated into the kitchen to avoid his best friend Sean and his sister Sue, who had been dating for a while. A _**long**_ while. Lately, it seemed like Axl hadn't been able to escape from the love-stricken couple. If he was in the living room, they'd be sitting next to him on the couch—doing anything but watching the TV. Instead, they'd both be cuddled up real close to one another, whispering and giggling softly into each other's ears in such a sickening, loving manner that it'd make his stomach turn. If he was in his room, he'd hear their voices coming through the hole in the shared wall to his room—talking to each other non-stop and frequently arguing about which one was the "cuter" in the relationship. If he had finally had enough and fled the house, standing outside in the chilly, winter cold: there they'd be, horsing around and chasing each other out in the icy snow like two hopelessly ill and lost twelve-year-olds. It seemed that, no matter where Axl went, there the dreaded sight of his sister and best friend together would be, too, always holding their hands close; constantly making lame, cheesy puns about fated love and star-crossed romance; and just being completely and absolutely _**sickenly**_ sweet with each other.

It wasn't "Donasue's" (Lexie liked to call the ghastly destined couple that; Axl would _**never**_ be caught dead using such a hideous word) sickening sweetness, however, that put Axl over the edge the most. Sure, Sue and Sean were cringe-worthy as jack with their "couple-cutesy-ness" and their wildly unstoppable, cheesy, romantic antics, but still, it wasn't the real reason why Axl wanted to gouge his eyes out and fall over dead whenever his sister and best friend came into view, fingers interlocked like even kingdom come couldn't separate them. Rather, it was something completely different that made Axl sick, mad, and frustrated—all at once—whenever he saw his best friend and sister enjoying themselves with each other.

It was that every time Axl saw his best friend and sister with one another, he couldn't help but think that they seemed to fit so well together… _That's_ what made him so furious and mentally seethe at the very sight of them. Frustration more at himself than anyone else. The discrepancy of the problem made him mad—madder than the fact that he still couldn't seem to figure out just _what_ his best friend Sean could ever, possibly see in his terribly lame, dork of a sister Sue (although to be fair, Sean had always been the more upstanding, straight-laced, "nice"-guy type between the two of them, no matter how hard Axl had tried to steer the guy in the right direction…) Because for the **_life_** of him, Axl Redford Heck, with a scrappy mind made of lightning and a bachelor's degree in business, honestly couldn't find _anything_ wrong with his best friend and sister dating each other. Honestly. Whether it be logical, _legal,_ or otherwise. The way his best friend made his sister happy and brought out a wide smile on her face; the way her dorky, overly-cheery self seemed to somehow complete his already pretty perfect, Donahue-y world… Axl just couldn't come up with an answer. _It just_ **wouldn't** _come to him,_ thought Axl with irritation to himself, forcefully cutting open the heart of a tomato. _And it probably never would…_

The sound of the front door opening and a series of distant, but familiar, giggles made Axl instantly perk up from cutting the last slice of his lone tomato. His head quickly shot up from the cutting board, catching the sight of his best friend and sister entering the kitchen, having just come in from the freezing, outside cold. Sue and Sean were still fully covered up in their heavy, winter jackets and clothes. The two of them were smiling widely and brightly at each other, bodies and hands linked together like the pair of disgustingly devoted, twisted lovers that they were.

"Ick," Axl immediately said as his sister and best friend made their way farther into the kitchen. He scambled over the kitchen counter-table, reaching for whatever ingredients were already prepared so he could hurriedly throw them together to make his half-finished sandwich. "Guess I'm out of here before the two of you star—"

"Actually, Axl, we kind of wanted to…" Sean started, unusually hesistant. Axl raised a curious eyebrow as his best friend and sister seemed to pass a few nervous, uncertain glances before his sister looked up at his best friend again, giving him a sure, but still skeptical nod.

"… wanted to tell you something," Sue finished with a tense strain in her voice, hugging Sean closer and still holding her boyfriend's hand.

Axl's eyebrow rose higher as he watched his sister and best friend momentarily bring their heads together and start whispering to one another—something about who should tell who what first and how they should go about telling it—before the two distraught lovers seemed to have reached a final, unanimous decision and returned their attention forward, staring uncertainly at him.

Axl's perplexity only increased as he witnessed the doubtful, nervous glances of the two people before him suddenly transform into bright, beaming smiles as they both raised their interlocked arms.

"WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!" the two of them shouted, Sean proudly holding up Sue's hand. Axl's eyes immediately recognized a small, shiny ring glittering around his sister's fourth finger.

"We're engaged!" Sue clarified with delight. She was clearly excited, jumping up and down beside her boyfriend's—err, _fiancé's_ —side. The blissful glee and joy spread throughout her body and face as it was apparent she couldn't keep her secret or contain her excitement anymore.

"… Oh," Axl replied slowly. He put down his plate, wiping his hands. "Well then, I guess congratulations are in order!" He quickly rounded the counter-table, hurrying up to his sister and best friend while offering his right hand. "Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Yay!"

After shaking Sean's hand and also attempting to congratulate Sue by hastily reaching out to her and giving her a very brief, half-hug, Axl had already regained his usually casual, care-free momentum, looking to his best friend and sister with wide satisfaction and happiness.

"So, what's next? Hey, I'm gonna be your best man, right?" Axl asked with eager cheerfulness. And a little bit of carefulness, too, in case he wasn't going to get picked…

Sean smiled, nodding and answering with a definite, emphatic "yes" as Axl smiled back brightly.

"Great! Oh—have you guys set a date yet?" Axl continued, firing away. He was about to turn around to grab his half-done sandwich and snag a bite to eat before Sue piped up with a very worried, concerned look on her face.

"W—W—Wait, _hold it!"_ Sue interrupted with great alarm in her voice. Axl turned to look at his sister with confusion, Sue returning it with the same stare of puzzlement—plus some confounded doubt. "Something's not right here." Sue crossed her arms, giving Axl a highly skeptical look. _"Sooooo_ you're not mad at us for getting engaged… and you're not going to make a bigger deal out of this? Like when we first got together and you threw that temper-tantrum about 'how bad parenting is going to end the world'? Or when you wouldn't let us sit together on the couch and would constantly call Mom or Dad to make us stop sitting next to each other? Or when we announced that we were 'officially' dating and you'd start waving your hands and make puking noises every time we came into the room?"

"What? No! Why would I do that?" Axl answered with strong, and seemingly honest, astonishment on his face. Sue and Sean narrowed their eyes and increased their intense, nervous gaze at him, but Axl just shook his head and leaned against the table as he continued to speak. "No, I mean… I know I can be a _bit_ over-reactive sometimes, but… Iunno, I think… I might actually be kind of _cool,_ you know, with the idea of you guys hanging out—err, being **this way** —with each other…" Axl offered up the smallest, most nervous and shyest of smiles while his sister gave him an openly surprised look and his best friend raised a tentative eyebrow.

"I mean, look," Axl started, taking a deep breath. He shifted a little in his position against the table as he motioned to the loving couple, starting with Sean. "Not to make this weird or anything, but you and I go way back—like, since we were kids or whenever our moms decided to set us up on those lame, kiddy 'playdates' or whatever. And… out of my whole group of friends, you're the most loyal, honest, and trustworthy guy I know—I mean, other than myself, of course! No, but seriously, dude, you're _the **best;**_ you've always had my back, and I know I wouldn't mind giving up mine for yours…" Axl turned to his sister. "And Sue, you're… a dork… but, I think… that's part of what makes you so great, too. I mean, between you, Brick, and myself, you're probably the nicest one out of all three of us… You're always too cheerful, sweet, and _**wayyyyy**_ too optimistic for your own good, which is totally a dorky thing to do and can be really annoying— _sometimes_ —but, I think… all of that dorkiness is probably what ultimately makes you a very caring, happy, and awesome person to be around." Axl sighed deeply and shrugged. "So yeah, I dunno. I guess I was just thinking about how I kind of liked seeing the nicest guy and the sweetest girl I know coming together… which, in a way, I think, kinda makes you guys perfect for each other…"

As the eldest Heck finished his little speech, he looked to his best friend and sister, waiting for a response. But Sean was just staring at him with widely surprised eyes as he held Sue, who only had her mouth open in utter shock.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is," Axl stated, clapping his hands together, "if there's any two people who are going to spend the rest of their lives together, I'm glad it's my best friend…" Axl turned to look at Sue. "And my little sister," he finished with a smile.

"Aaaww, Axl, that's _**SOOOO**_ SWEET!" Sue exclaimed, flying forward. And before Axl could protest or do anything to stop this pair of sickening, twisted lovers, it was already too late—they had both already brought their arms around him, locking him into a very tight, firm, and loving embrace.

"Thanks, Ax-man," Sean said, patting Axl on the back as the latter found himself suffocating from the cozy warmth of his best friend and sister's double-hug.

"S—So," Axl coughed as the very grateful, clearly touched couple finally let him go. Axl casually waved to the motley arrangement of foods scattered about the kitchen counter-table, affecting the fine, smooth flair of a business associate. "Could I interest the newly-engaged couple in a little pre-celebratory, post-engagement party?" Axl gave a sharp, playful grin as his hopeful pair of customers looked on. "There's only a slice and half of cheese left, but that's fine— _you guys can share!"_

Sue and Sean smiled, the happily "sold-to" couple nodding brightly as they came forward and joined Axl around the Hecks' kitchen counter-table. The trio of brother, sister, and best friend then all gladly came together to merrily enjoy some ultimately okay-tasting, half-finished ham sandwiches—and to happily discuss their exciting future ahead.

* * *

Special thanks to **phuong1317** and **so-romantical.** For **phuong1317:** I'm so glad you get giddy when this story gets updated haha; that makes me super-happy and giddy, too! :'33 For **so-romantical:** I'm so glad you think so, haha! And dw; with the way things are going, I'll probably be writing quite a few more :'PP

I'M SO, SO, SO SORRY I WASN'T ABLE TO GET THIS DONE BY THIS PAST WEEKEND LIKE I SAID WOULD LEOL. FAMILY AND CHRISTMAS STUFF CAME UP SO I KIND OF SLACKED OFF A BIT AND TOOK IT EASY LOLOLOL. BUT HEY, at least I got it out on Tuesday, which is when the show would typically come out if it wasn't on a break :'33 My next one should be up by the end of the week-end-ish, too, but y'all just ignore me and don't believe anything I say from now on leoleol. Anyways, on to the "real" a/n's stuff:

WHOO! Can't believe we've made it to the 10th chapter! WOW… never thought I'd make it this far in terms of writing out and "publishing" a story… especially one that's a fanfiction lololol :'33c Hope y'all are enjoying the stories so far! leoleol~

Also an important update: so after having reached the 10th story, I've gone back and counted how many prompts I have left to finish. Turns out, I have exactly 16 submitted prompts that I have left to plan, write out, and post. My _ideal_ goal is to finish all of them by the time the show's winter break is over—yes, I know that is an overly ambitious goal; at most, I'll probably be able to write and post about 4-6 over the break. At any rate, once I've finished all of these prompts, we'll have a total of 26 stories by the end of this collection of one-shots. As a result, I have also decided to write an _**additional**_ 4 stories—of my own idea and liking—which will nicely round out this series of ficlets to a total of 30 (unless I get any other crazy ideas hahaha; hopefully I won't :v *fingers crossed*). So yeah, that's kind of my plan right now and what y'all can expect to look forward to :333 The self-composed prompts will be randomly interspersed within the 26 requested ones—just whenever I feel inspired or find the motivation to write (although I already have some ideas listed out… :pp). In fact, the next one will probably be a self-composed fic unless I change my mind last-minute (it's the extra one I wrote for Episode 8).

Hope y'all are excited for the upcoming stories ahead! As always, thank you for all of the comments, reviews, reads, and love so far, guys! It's definitely what's been keeping me writing—I can't appreciate it enough. See you soon, and I hope y'all had a very wonderful **Merry Christmas~!** 🎄❄️


	11. Episode 11: Surprise Confessions

**Prompt:** Sean confesses to Sue. (Mine)

Extra story written as a result of the given prompt for Episode 8: "Timely Revelations."

* * *

The frozen, icy grass crunched softly beneath her feet as Sue made her way through the courtyard, trudging all the way back to the warmth and shelter of the apartment she shared with Lexie. The breadth of true winter had finally come, and it was starting to snow again—tiny, white snowflakes beginning to dot the college grounds once more.

Sue had just come back from an end-of-the-semester Christmas party for one of the numerous clubs she had signed up for when first coming to East Indiana State University. It was the last social event she'd had to help organize and attend before heading back to Orson to enjoy the rest of her Christmas break at home with her family. The campus grounds were pretty much empty now since everyone had finished their finals and were heading home or already there for the holidays.

The party itself had been quite nice. Sue had looked quite nice as well. She had chosen to attend the party in a bright, red dress with gold lacing to complement its holiday theme. Her hair had been curled into soft, pretty waves, completing her whole outfit and making her look positively splendid under the ballroom's many strung Christmas lights and warm, golden glow.

The only difference between her attendance to this dance and all the other ones she'd been invited to was that this time, Sue had decided she'd go alone. Well, actually, it was more like, if she were still seeing Aidan, the Postmates guy, then Sue probably would have asked him to be her date to this event instead, but they had broken up and parted ways a few weeks ago (or rather, "broken off"... Sue honestly couldn't ever really tell if they'd been seriously dating or not). So, by default, Sue had been left to go to the semester's end party all by herself. Not that it had been a particularly hard or unpleasant decision to make, nor had she been trying to make some kind of statement. Sue had just felt like, what with her currently growing into a more mature and confidant adult, and the case being that it just _so happened_ she didn't have anyone to take to a party at _this_ point in her life—didn't mean that she wouldn't in the future—that Sue didn't have to make a big deal out of it and would simply go and enjoy the party on her own. Besides, there really wasn't anybody she currently really liked or felt like inconveniencing by asking them to come and accompany her to this party (for some reason, the resulting drama over who would take her to a dance or prom always seemed to end up so much more unnecessarily complicated than initially anticipated), so Sue had decided to take a huge step forward and brave it alone, hoping to have (and actually finding) fun on her own.

Well, there was _one_ person she wouldn't have minded going to the Christmas party and spending some time with, but none of that mattered now.

Sean Donahue. Her childhood friend. The cute boy next door. The super-nice guy she'd basically known her entire life.

He had shown up to her apartment earlier in the day, actually, to help her pack and load the last of what she wanted to bring back home with her for Christmas break. When he had accidentally picked up a box she'd set aside, she had explained that it was for the Christmas party she would be attending later that evening. When he had asked more about the party, she had quickly explained that it was just some small, informal thing for one of the various clubs she'd joined—particularly, the acapella group she and Brad were a part of—and that it was only a little end-of-the-year Christmas party she had helped to plan as part of the group's end-of-the-semester festivities. Then, out of pure excitement, she'd gone on this whole talking spree about how, since she'd had a hand in helping to organize the event, that the group had been able to invite some special guest singers, and since they now had guest singers, the university had allowed them to use one of their special ballrooms, which was typically only reserved for more higher-end, special "VIP" guests... or the dancing students next door. She then gushed over how she couldn't wait to meet their guest singers, get a chance to dance on a "real" ballroom floor, and that she'd had the most perfect, red, and Christmas-y dress already picked out for the occasion in advance. He'd then asked if she was going to the party with someone, which seemed to her to be a little of an odd question at first, but then she'd quickly answered "yes"—since in the back of her mind, Brad was going to meet her on the way there, and she was sure she'd probably meet a few of her other acapella friends on the way there, too. Sue had thought that maybe Sean looked a bit upset at her immediate answer, but perhaps she'd been reading too much into it. Because a little bit later, he was smiling brightly back at her like he always did, finished helping her pack and load all of her belongings into her car, wished her well at the party and told her he'd meet her back home after she came home for the break, and left. Leaving her all alone again... and to get ready for the Christmas party.

Sue sighed heavily to herself. Her arms tightened around the bright, red, but thin shawl that matched her dress to protect her from the growing cold. The frosty bite of winter could be felt more sharply now, and the snow was beginning to fall harder and harder as more snowflakes steadily touched ground. The great gusts of chilly, cold air blew against her with much more force and will. The bitter, winter wind began to grow, howling louder and louder as Sue heard a distant hissing noise. Actually, it was starting to sound more and more like—

 _"Suzy-Q!"_

Sue turned, surprised to see Sean Donahue come running though the swiftly-forming, but small, non-threatening blizzard. He seemed to be in a hurry, only having on some jeans and a light, gray-ish brown sweater over a T-shirt, as he tried to thwart the cold, battering winds of winter and dash through the gradually thickening drifts of snow.

"Wait—Sean, what are you doing here?" Sue asked in wonder and confused surprise. "I thought you'd already gone home hours ago."

"I did," Sean answered breathlessly, having caught up to her. "But then I was over at your guys' place, and then I saw the snowglobe, and then Axl said—"

He stopped to catch his breath, letting out a puff of white smoke into the dark, chilly cold. Sue's confused expression only grew more tense as her face showed more concerned worry at the sight of Sean bending over to gasp for more air.

"Sue, I—I need to tell you something," Sean started, immediately standing up as soon as he'd caught his breath. He had an urgent, brash look on his face and eyes, his brown hair bending upright as the heavy, snowy wind continued to blow. It all looked so different from the mannerly, generally composed sight of a Donahue that she was used to, thought Sue, but before she could ask Sean what was going on or say another word, he had already spoken.

"I like you," Sean blurted out. The words came out in an indeterminable rush—lacking any control—and made everything around them go completely still, except for the gently falling snow. Sue's eyes widened; her thoughts stopped. She remained completely speechless with surprise and shock as Sean continued. "I think I have for a while now, just wasn't really sure because of how long we'd known each other and how often we spend time together. Like that time I drove all the way over to your house to ask you to your senior prom. But it was all confirmed when I went to ask you to the Chancellor's Ball. But then the timing just wasn't ever right, and all of these things kept getting in the way, and then you started seeing some other people, and I wasn't sure if I should tell you because I didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble and I didn't even know if you felt the same way..." Sean let out a nervous laugh and smile. "But then I was over at your house, and I saw the snowglobe, and then Axl got all weird and confused with me and told me that you weren't seeing anybody, so I immediately rushed outside, jumped back into my car, and drove all the way from Orson back to here in the heavy, falling snow because I just couldn't keep it all in anymore, and I needed to tell you that—"

Sean gave a deep breath, letting out another big, puffy cloud of smoke. Sue's mind raced and her chest thumped louder as Sean set his eyes upon her.

"You're... amazing, Sue," he said. His eyes looked to her with hopeful, loving admiration. "You're sweet, friendly, caring, and thoughtful. Your happiness never fails to put a smile on my face, and you're always there to give me support or encouragement when I need it the most. You're an awesome friend, Sue—the absolute best. And the most incredible, beautiful, and wonderful girl I know. And... I just can't stop thinking about how _absolutely_ **amazing** you are... So, Suzy-Q, if you would allow me to ask you this one question... would you like to be my special snowflake this Christmas?"

Sue was about to open her mouth to reply, but Sean quickly sucked in his breath and interrupted her answer. "A—And I know that we've been really good friends for a long time—and our families are really close—so if you don't feel the same way, I understand. I—It's completely fine; I get it. So just say the word, and I'll never bring it up agai—"

"Sean," Sue said, stepping closer. She came nearer and nearer, further and further, until her bright, brown eyes were finally meeting his. The world around them had become so peaceful and quiet, despite all of the gently falling snow and softly blowing wind around them, as Sue took one more step, and whispered warmly into the cold, chilly air. "I like you, too," she replied with a smile.

Anxious uncertainty turned to bliss as recognition, surprised wonderment, and gladness instantly spread across Sean's face. He smiled brightly, and she smiled back. Everything around them seemed to disappear as the two came closer to one another. And in a moment, Sue felt herself being surrounded by the greatest warmth as Sean's arms reached around to her thinly-veiled back. The warmth began to spread within her as she hugged him back and felt their lips touch in a passionate kiss. She could feel the happiness and warmth reach to the tip of her ears as she leaned into the kiss and he pulled her closer, his hand gently touching her chin. Yes, it was as cold as can be out there in one of the freezing, snowy courtyards of East Indiana State, but these two ordinary, and very special, snowflakes were as warm as can be in their own winter wonderland.

* * *

Special thanks to **Polina Fisher** and **phuong1317:** To the former, thanks so much! I'm glad you liked Axl's interpretation, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :'33 To **phuong 1317:** Lol yeah, I feel like Axl probably totally feels this way about Sue and Sean, too! He's just a little bit too stubborn to admit it :'3 I could kinda?—and would definitely hope—to see this kind of reaction from Axl if we ever got this far on the show, though. Like, by the time your sister and best friend are engaged and are about to get married... kind of a bit late to continue "ragging on" them by then lol. Also to the **Guest** who commented on Episode 10: I'm sorry, but I am no longer taking anymore prompt requests (you can go to the first chapter of this fic and read the **Introduction** \+ **Notes** if you need more details). That being said, I'll be writing 4 stories of my own liking and creation, so if any of your would like to give me any ideas or inspiration, feel free to add them in the comments (although there is no guarantee I'll include them in the stories). Thanks for asking though; I'm always flattered when somebody thinks I'm good enough to write one of their requests! :D :3 :D

Y'ALL I DID IT! Got it written up and posted by the end of the week :D :D :D YAYAYAYAYAYAY!

So this was kind of how I had imagined Sue and Sean would get together leol. Had to get it posted before they air the actual episode in which Sue and Sean "officially" get together lolol. Basically, they'd get into some kind of mix-up (probably about dancing, parties, or something similar); there'd be some misunderstanding about Sue's relationship status; Sean, now sad, would go away, leaving Sue all alone; and then he'd see the snowglobe somewhere, probably back at the Heck house (maybe because Axl had invited him over for fun or something, having no clue about how Sean felt/his feelings for Sue), then he'd rush and drive a million miles back to wherever she was at (for the sake of him always having to go the "extra mile" to surprise her :'3), and then he'd find her, he/she'd confess, they'd kiss, and all would be happy in their little, winter wonderland~~

But alas, we got what we got lol. I actually **LOVED** the Christmas episode (it's more of what's coming _after_ that I'm kinda unhappy/iffy on). I thought it was really sweet how they got together in that one, and I don't think they'll drag out their getting together until _the very_ end, but still... I'm dying over here haha :v :v

Some other little things: I forgot if Sue actually joined a club when she started college? I have a feeling she did, or at least they tried to play up the fact that Sue, being her typical Sue-self, had probably joined, or at least signed up for, multiple clubs. But her trying to succeed in different clubs, surprisingly, really hasn't been a focus since she's entered college, imo.

I also like the idea of Sue maturing and not caring about whether she needs to have someone to take to a dance being the point where she and Sean get together (although I guess she kindaaaaaa? did that with Darrin?). I'm just a real stickler for parallels/irony/continuity lol.


	12. Episode 12: The Perfect Gift

**Prompt:** Sue makes Sean a Christmas gift (a kind of cheesy one, like a scarf or something like it), while Sean buys her a really nice Christmas gift. She feels bad for not getting him something nicer, but he lets her know that this gift means more to him than anything she could have bought for him, because she worked so hard on it and made it with love. (Anonymous)

* * *

"Man, that was great!" Sean exclaimed, finishing his meal with a clink of the silverware.

Sue smiled and nodded, also placing her fork onto her finished plate.

"Now, time for the gifts!" Sean said with excitement, rubbing his hands together. From across the table, he gave his girlfriend a big smile.

Sue smiled back. She was excited, too. It was Christmas. She and Sean had been dating for a couple of months now, and they were having their first annual Christmas dinner-date at her and Lexie's apartment. Christmas had kind of become like this special time for them. It was when they had had their first kiss, realized their feelings for each other, and how their relationship had ultimately grown, quickened pace, picked up momentum, and finally come into being (despite the many, _**many**_ mix-ups). To celebrate the occasion, they'd first had a nice and delicious candle-lit dinner. Next, they were going to participate in a couple's gift exchange: they were going to present each other the gifts that they had gotten for one another.

Sue was especially excited for the gift exchange. She couldn't wait to give Sean her gift. She'd spent hours working on it this past year, starting in the summer and then all throughout the long, fall months. She had struggled with it initially, constantly stressing over its shape and form and frustrated with doing, undoing, and re-doing its knots all over—but the thought of it keeping him warm in the wintertime had kept her going, and come late December, thankfully, she'd finally finished it. It was done, wrapped, and ready to be gifted. She couldn't wait for Sean to open it; her heart jumped just thinking about the happy, surprised look on his face when he did.

"Okay, Suzy-Q, I've got your gift right here!" Sean started. He turned in his chair and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small, square box. Sue's eyes went up a little upon thinking about the all the kinds of gifts that could possibly fit into such a small-sized container. Her excitement and confidence began to waver as Sean brought it to the table.

"Here we are," Sean said. He gave her a lively grin as he placed the box before her on the dining room table and between the two glowing candles. "This is for you."

"O—O—Oh... It all fits into this box?" Sue asked with a growing hint of uncertainty.

"Yup," Sean nodded. "I was thinking about getting you something else at the same store, but when I saw this, I just couldn't stop thinking about you and how well it would fit you, Sue." He smiled at his girlfriend as he gently tapped the box toward her. "Merry Christmas, Suzy-Q."

Sue offered her boyfriend a nervous, but gracious smile as she carefully picked up the cardboard box. It was small, but not too small—about the size of one's palm—cream-colored and with pretty gold lining decorating its edges. It even had a nice, golden bow printed cutely across the top. Anxiety, hopefulness, despair, and anticipation all spun around within her as Sue brought the box closer and opened it, peering inside.

Sue gasped. And as she did, her heart sank a little.

"Oooh!" Sue exclaimed, staring with wide, wide eyes at what was in the box. She looked up at her boyfriend with a mix of worry, gratitude, and surprise. "Oh, Sean, it's... _**beautiful!"**_

Sue's hand went up to reveal a small piece of jewelry—a bracelet—of the jingling, jangling sort. A charm bracelet. It was really quite stunning and beautiful, the small, pretty charms making a soft tinkling noise as they dangled from the band's elegant silver loops.

Sean eagerly scooted forward. "One of the charms is a cupcake, because of how sweet you are. The smiley-face is to show how close we were as friends before we started dating each other. There's a unicorn with rainbows on it because I know you love those. A golden heart. And a snowflake to remind you of Christmas..." He looked up, his warm gaze meeting hers as he smiled brightly at her. "And how special we are to one another."

Sue was speechless. She couldn't find any words to describe her amazement, wonder, and thanks for her boyfriend's Christmas present. While she struggled to find the right words to express herself, Sean quickly encouraged her to try on her new gift, so try it on she did.

True to what her boyfriend had previously said, the gift was an exact fit. The bracelet's chain locked comfortably around her wrist—not too loose, not too tight. The bracelet's colors and design were just her style. Overly cute, yet also lovely. From the glow of the dinner table, the bracelet's charms sparkled wonderfully, glistening under the candlelight, and reflected back to Sue just how beautiful, thoughtful, and meaningful the present her boyfriend had just given her was.

The perfect gift.

A feeling of failure and inadequacy had started forming within Sue as she looked to Sean, who was beaming with happy satisfaction from across the table.

"All right, Suzy-Q, you're next!" her boyfriend said with a wide smile.

Sue hesitated. "Oh word, Sean, I don't know..." she started nervously. Sean gave her a slightly confused look. Sue attempted to explain. "It's just that, your gift—it's... so beautiful! So, so, so beautiful!" Sue gave a nervous laugh as she took another look at the bracelet hanging about her wrist. "Almost too beautiful." She looked at her boyfriend with concern and worry all over her face, and sighed. "You're gift is **perfect**... And mine... just isn't that great..."

"Aww, don't worry about it, Suzy-Q; I'm sure I'll _**love**_ your gift!" Sean said, shaking his head with assurance. He smiled encouragingly at her.

"Okay... just... don't get your hopes up too high when you see it," Sue said with a little hesitation and warning in her voice. She reached under the table, bringing up white paper bag filled with gold stuffing paper. She placed the bag onto the table in front of her boyfriend before giving a weak smile.

"Oooh, you got a bag and everything! I wonder what it is!" Sean said with a bright grin. Sue replied with a nervous smile as Sean's hand shuffled through the stuffing paper, searching for the gift that she had so meticulously prepared for him. The unsettling feeling in her stomach grew bigger and bigger, peaking as she heard her boyfriend making a sound of recognition at having found her gift.

"Oh, _wow_ —a scarf!" Sean remarked, pulling from the bag a lengthy and thick piece of cloth. The scarf had clearly been knitted and was a deep red color. It also had a rather stickish, but still recognizable, snowflake design at one end of it. Overall, the scarf wasn't terribly knitted, perhaps a bit rough-looking around the edges and uneven in some parts, but otherwise it was still a fairly nice, well-enough-woven—and rather plain—Christmas gift. "And... a hat!" Sean exclaimed, pulling out another article of knitted clothing. He smiled widely at his girlfriend. "Awesome!"

The quality of the hat wasn't too much different from the scarf's, save for the snowflake design. But it carried the same plain, homemade ordarinariness of its yarn-y predecessor. Nothing special or uncommon about it. The completely simple, homely ordinariness of her gift didn't really hit Sue until she watched her boyfriend try both of the items on, which upon doing so, she realized that her mental sizing of her boyfriend might have been a little off, as the scarf appeared to look a bit thinner than she had anticipated, and the hat fit oddly onto his head, about two sizes too small.

"And hey, look—they both match my gray turtleneck, too!" Sean smiled, pointing to himself.

Sue frowned. "Oh, Sean, I am so, so, _**sooo**_ sorry!" Sue let out a heavy sigh. "I wanted to give you something really, _**really**_ special for Christmas, so I thought I'd make you a scarf, but... even though I spent _hours_ working on it... it's all just hitting me now how stupid and silly the whole idea was..."

Sean gave his girlfriend an inquisitive, genuinely curious look. "You made this?"

Sue nodded pathetically. "I learned to knit—err, tried to—this past summer. That's how I got this 'super-great' idea to knit you something warm for the wintertime in the first place. Probably got a little over-excited about it, like I always do..." She gave her boyfriend a look of pity and disappointment. "I should have bought you something instead, Sean. It would have been a lot, _**lot**_ nicer."

Sean's look of curiosity changed to endearment as his arms reached across the table. "Sue," he said, taking both of her hands and warmly wrapping her fingers in his. "Your gift **_is_** perfect."

The frown didn't immediately disappear from Sue's face, but she did slowly look up to Sean as he continued to explain. "Nice gifts are well, nice, but... I'm glad you didn't buy me something instead. No one's ever really made me something before—I mean, well, except for my mom—but besides that, no one's ever really spent so much time and effort making me something—that was made and **_meant,_** especially for me." Sean held up an end of the scarf that Sue had made for him—the end with the stick-figure snowflake on it. "That means a lot to me, Sue. And I really appreciate all the work and time that went into making this scarf. It makes it a lot more meaningful to me than any gift you could have bought for me at a store, even if it would've been a lot nicer. So..."

Sean smiled warmly at Sue, gently squeezing her hands. "Thank you, Sue. This was a **_really_** thoughtful and special gift. I love it."

Sue slowly looked up to meet her boyfriend's eyes. "... You really mean that?" she asked, voice still filled with some doubt.

"I really mean it. I mean—we can probably do away with the hat—but the scarf..." Sean smiled brightly at his girlfriend. "It'll definitely keep me warm."

Happiness, comfort, and excitement returned to Sue as she smiled back at her boyfriend and quietly nodded. He grinned, squeezing her hands one last time.

"Hey," Sean said, "how about we establish a ground rule for our forthcoming, annual Christmas dinner-dates? That from now on, we won't feel bad about any of the presents we submit for the gift exchange because it's the thought—" Sean smiled at Sue. "And the _love_ behind the gift that counts."

Sue's smile grew wider. "Agreed," she replied with happily contented breath.

Sean's face brigtened up with a smile at his girlfriend's response. He gently took her hands within his again as he looked to her from across the table. "Merry Christmas, Suzy-Q."

"Merry Christmas, Sean," said Sue.

* * *

First fic of 2018 WOOT! Next one should also be coming soon~ :333 Wanted to get this done since it's Christmas-sy; probably the last Christmas fic of the series, but not the last winter-themed one :'33 I also think it's probably the first time I've adhered pretty strictly to the prompt, at least in a while haha. Hope you guys are enjoying the show after it's come back from the break (wew, what a return episode!). As always, thanks for all the reads, love, and support so far! I hope you all had a _wonderful_ **Merry Christmas** and a _lovely_ **New Year~!** 🎊 🎉


	13. Episode 13: Babysitting Date

**Prompt:** Sue and Sean (who are an established couple) get tasked with babysitting the neighbor's baby (the same one from the "Ovary and Out" episode) - Sean is incredibly good at it, which makes Sue very happy, and makes her fall even more in love with him. (Anonymous)

Oh my word, anon, this is **suchhhh** a CUTE IDEA! Story comes in three parts. Because of time, this may/may not be the same baby from the "Ovary and Out" episode lolol, but let's just all assume that it's from the same family ;D

* * *

"See how pretty she looks in this gown versus the other one?" Sue asked hopefully. She had a wedding magazine in one hand and a crying, wailing, and very **_upset_ **baby in the other. For the fifteenth time that day, Sue attempted to pacify the sobbing child, quickly holding up the magazine to her face as she energetically waved it about, flipping through its many colorful pages. "It's because her dress's neckline is in the shape of a _u_ instead of a _v,"_ Sue tried to explain in an overly cheerful tone. The crying baby in her arms, however, proceeded to still cry. Sue let out a heavy sigh.

 _How could taking care of a baby be so hard?_

A knock came at the door, and Sue quickly threw the issue she was holding back onto the small pile of wedding magazines that had accumulated on the living room table. Taking the crying baby up in her arms, she went to answer the door.

"Oh, Sean!" Sue gasped aloud as soon as she'd opened the front door. Her fiancé immediately looked up to meet her gaze, probably having waited for a couple of minutes outside her door. His look of patient expectancy turned to baffled surprise as soon as he spotted the baby crying on Sue's arm. "I am so, so, **_so_** sorry—I totally forgot we had a date tonight!" said Sue, frantically rocking the child back and forth in her arms. "Brick forgot he was supposed to babysit the neighbor's baby today, so he's already left for the library. Then I volunteered to babysit for him, but she's been crying the entire time."

Sue moved over to let her boyfriend into the Heck house, allowing him to shut the front door as she continued trying to calm the baby down.

At the astonishingly amusing sight before him, Sean shook his head and chuckled. "It's okay, Suzy-Q. We're not late; there's still a good half hour before dinnertime." A smile spread across Sean's face as he motioned toward the crying child and his troubled fiancé. "Here, why don't you let me take her while you get ready."

"Okay, just—watch over her while I go get dressed real quick," Sue complied, transferring the crying baby over to Sean. She winced at the child still crying in her fiancé's arms. "I just wish I knew... how to make her feel better..."

Sean nodded, carefully holding the baby within his firm grasp as Sue backed away from the newly acquainted pair, running back to her bedroom at the Heck house and pointing a finger at both him and the baby before yelling, "I'll be back in a second!"

A few moments later, Sue re-appeared, dressed up and ready to go out with her fiancé on their planned dinner date. When she returned to the living room, she found her fiancé seated comfortably on the couch—with a quieted, no-longer-screaming baby in his arms. In fact, the neighbor's baby was blissfully gurgling and laughing back with glee as Sean held her up, wiggled her around, and started making funny faces at her.

"How did you...?" asked Sue in pure shock and awe as she approached the playful duo.

Sean got up, coming over to where Sue was standing in wonder at the middle of the Heck living room, and bringing the baby with him. "Well, when you've been a camp counselor since freshman year in high school, volunteered at fifty plus children's centers, and spend a lot of time with working kids in med school, you kind of develop a knack for knowing how to get along with kids," Sean replied. He gave his girlfriend a huge grin and winked. "Plus, it helps having two younger sisters." Sean stepped closer to Sue, allowing her to get a better look at the now happily giggling baby.

Sue stared in wonder at the sight of her boyfriend being able to calm and settle the previously bawling infant, her hand reaching out to tickle the baby's rosy-red cheeks.

"You look beautiful tonight," Sean said. Sue looked up to her boyfriend and smiled, Sean smiling back, before turning to address the baby in his arms. "Don't _**you**_ think she looks pretty tonight?" he asked her in a heavily affected, high-pitched voice.

The baby laughed back to Sean in response, giving a giggled squeal as he pestered her with more questions that she didn't quite understand, but thought sounded very funny. Sue was lost in amazement, mesmerized by how well the baby was responding to her fiancé as she watched Sean gently bounce her up and down. Sue smiled. She was about to say something when another thing suddenly crossed her mind and interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh!" Sue exclaimed, her eyebrows coming together in distress. "What are we going to do about the baby?"

"Are any of your folks home?" Sean asked. None of his folks were home or going to be anytime soon.

Sue shook her head. "No, everyone's got plans tonight." Sue sighed. "What were we even _thinking,_ going on a date when we had a baby to take of?"

"Why don't we just take the baby with us?" Sean asked after a moment's pause.

Sue hesistated. "You sure?" she asked with concerned eyes.

"Yeah," Sean replied. He continued to bounce the giggling baby in his arms, then shrugged. "I don't mind. She's not too much to handle; it'll be fine."

"Okay," Sue answered brightly, already reaching for their coats, looking for her purse, and re-locating the child's carseat carrier.

And within a couple minutes, the engaged couple were ready and out the door, headed for their date's destination, and bringing a baby along with them.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"I had no idea there was so much to think about when planning weddings!" Sue exclaimed. She took another sip of her strawberry milkshake before making another go at her fries. Since they had a baby with them today, the engaged couple had decided to forgo eating out at a fancy restaurant and had settled on ordering dinner at a local fast food restaurant instead. The three were all seated at a little booth, the neighbor's baby comfortably seated between them on a high chair as the couple enjoyed burgers and fries. "Do you know what the difference between a flared, mermaid, A-line, and _modified_ A-line wedding dress is?" Sue asked, looking at Sean.

"'A clear, distinct, and hyper-sense of awareness and connectivity for one's body-type'?" Sean replied with a discerning look.

Sue stared at him with puzzled amazement. Sean just laughed. "I saw the wedding magazines on your living room table when I was watching over the baby and you were getting ready," he replied with a mischievous smile.

Sue grinned. "I can't believe we're going to get married in a few months," she observed. There was some nervousness, but also much anticipation and excitement, in her voice.

"Me neither," Sean said, picking up a fry. He looked to his fiancé and smiled. "This is going to be one of our last dates as an unmarried couple."

Sue's face brightened in response as the child sitting between them suddenly broke out with an aggravated cry. Sue and Sean's attention instantly turned toward the newly upset baby, who had started to cry and was motioning unhappily toward them. Sue quickly moved to unbuckle the baby's seatbelt before Sean grabbed it out of the high chair, taking her up in his arms again.

"Hey there, what's the matter?" Sean asked the child with an exaggerated frown. The baby didn't stop crying, but it was clear that Sean was starting to get her attention. Sue watched as the baby's distraught tears were gradually replaced by a small, fascinated smile as her fiancé continued to make funny faces and noises at her, bouncing her up and down on his lap. "You gonna give me a big smile?" Sean asked with a wide grin, bringing his nose to the child's, who by now was starting to happily giggle again. Sue smiled as she watched her fiancé continue to comfort the baby, a new feeling of warmth and admiration swelling up in her.

"Oh, what a cute baby!" Sue and Sean immediately looked up, seeing an old lady at their table, who was smiling happily at them and beaming at the baby that was joyously gurgling in Sean's arms. The old lady leaned forward to affectionately squeeze the baby's cheek. "You must be such a _**joy**_ to your **mommy** and **daddy!"**

The neighbor's baby only stopped to stare at this new and unfamiliar face with wide, curious, and mystified eyes—while Sue's eyes widened in surprised alarm.

"Oh—no—that's not our—" Sue started, raising her hand to explain. But as soon as she spotted the small, thin engagement band sparkling on her fourth finger, she knew that no matter how hard she tried, it would just end up in more complicated, overly confused, confusion. Sue reluctantly put her hand down, deciding to just roll with the lady's mistaken perception for the time being. The woman briefly gave her a slightly puzzled glance, but within a moment, was back to generously cooing at the baby in Sean's arms as her long, painted nails lovingly scratched the baby's chin.

"Such a cute family!" the old lady fondly declared.

Sue smiled, then laughed, with polite nervousness. She watched as Sean lifted up the neighbor's baby so that the old woman to could better play with her, Sean keeping the child safe, warm, and happy in his arms. For a moment, all these thoughts about current wedding plans, crying babies, Sean, their upcoming marriage, and family clouded Sue's mind again, and she smiled at the realization.

"You be good to your parents!" the old lady shouted from the restaurant door, energetically waving at the still captivated baby as she exited the burger joint.

As soon as the restaurant's door rang closed, Sue turned back in her seat, looking at Sean.

"That was weird," he said. He gave her a quirky smile and uncertain look before his attentions returned to the baby, who by now looked completely spent and exhausted, already leaning more deeply into his hold.

"Yeah, I know," Sue laughed softly, grabbing another fry from the tray as Sean repositioned the baby higher up in his arms. A little while later and the engaged couple were back to happily finishing the rest of their noise-free, peaceful dinner. Sue looked across the booth at her fiancé. He was firmly holding the baby close to his side, who, by now, was falling fast asleep on his arm.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"What about this one?" Sue asked, flipping to the next page of the issue she had so hastily left on the living room coffee table before. They were back home from their date, sitting next to each other on the couch and going through Sue's pile of wedding fashion magazines. They didn't want to worry Mrs. Peterson about the baby if they had stayed out late after dinner, so they had come home early in order to wait for the baby's mother. Sean was seated closely next to Sue on the couch, Sue's head on his shoulder as the baby rested quietly on his other shoulder, now soundly asleep.

"Nah," Sean says with a disapproving shake of his head, "It's too... 'in your face' and terribly showy. Doesn't really fit the theme of a classically vintage, outdoor wedding."

Sue nodded, flipping over to the next page. Suddenly, the neighbor's baby began to stir again. Sue quickly put down the magazine and reached for a blanket to place around the baby's back, while Sean carefully held her closer to him and rocked her gently back and forth. In a minute, the tired baby was settled down and slumbering again, and the satisfied couple came back together on the couch, ready to flip through some more photos of wedding décor. Sue rested her head back on Sean's shoulder. She was about to thumb through the wedding magazine again before she paused and abruptly looked up, meeting the curious eyes of her fiancé.

"I like this," Sue whispered softly, careful not to wake the neighbor's baby. She watched as it slept peacefully in Sean's arms.

"What do you mean?" Sean asked, carefully shifting in his position for a second.

Sue lifted her eyebrows, and shrugged. "Oh, just—you know... with all the wedding stuff, planning, not knowing what to expect, and the over-excitement... it's gotten kind of a bit crazy around here. But..." Sue stole a quick glance at the still peacefully sleeping infant. "After spending time with you today, and going on our little date, I just realized how much _more_ amazing you are, how much _**more**_ I love you, and that..." She smiled at her fiancé, looking at him with a wide grin on her face. "I can't wait to start a family with you, is all."

Sean smiled, his fiancé's comment bringing a bright grin across his face. "Me, too," he said. Sean moved closer, slowly leaning in for a kiss. Sue smiled, feeling his lips touch hers as she carefully leaned into their kiss as well. After a brief make-out session (Sean was still holding a baby, after all), the two quietly broke away from each other, completely out of breath. Sue moved back a little before repositioning herself next to Sean on the couch, careful not to wake the happily sleeping baby.

"Now, let's go find that 'undeniably necessary, event- _ **defining**_ table centerpiece that every wedding is incomplete without,'" Sean said with a grin.

Sue smiled, settling down with her soon-to-be husband, the future father of her children, and the man she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with.

* * *

I know I dragged this story out, but hopefully I delivered. Honestly, I think Sean would be great with kids. He just seems like the type who does well with kids/children because he's had so much experience working with them through volunteering at children's centers, being a good older brother, etc. I also read somewhere that maybe Sean could be a pediatrician as a doctor, and honestly, I think that would be **SO PERFECT** AND **CUTE!** Sorry this chapter didn't come out as quickly as I'd anticipated (I really did have a good portion of it written up), but I hope y'all enjoyed reading it; I really enjoyed writing this one! :33


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